President Biden “has renewed for four years Trump-era tariffs on imported solar panels that were set to expire this weekend as his administration tries to boost US manufacturing of clean energy infrastructure,” the Financial Times reports.

New York Times: “But the Biden administration also moved to double the amount of solar cells that can come into the country without facing tariffs, and said it would begin talks with Canada and Mexico to export their products to the United States duty-free.”

“Board members of four major oil companies declined to appear at a House oversight panel hearing scheduled for Feb. 8 to answer questions about their companies’ climate change plans,” Reuters reports.

Related: Opening Our Eyes to Climate Change Myths

“With freezing weather expected to hit a large portion of Texas this week, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) on Tuesday tried to assure Texans that the state is better prepared this year than last, but said there could be local power outages throughout the state,” the Texas Tribune reports.

Dallas Morning News: Beto O’Rourke (D) goes on the road to skewer Abbott over Texas’ electric grid.

“A federal court has rejected a plan to lease millions of acres in the Gulf of Mexico for offshore oil drilling, saying the Biden administration failed to conduct a proper environmental review,” the AP reports.

“Oil touched $90 a barrel for the first time in seven years on Wednesday, supported by tight supply and rising political tensions between Russia and Ukraine that added to concerns about further disruption in an already-tight market,” Reuters reports.

“Domestic violent extremists have been planning to try to disrupt the U.S. power grid and will probably keep doing so, according to a Department of Homeland Security intelligence bulletin shared with law enforcement agencies and utility operators,” CBS News reports.

“The Biden Administration announced on Tuesday that it was working with gas and crude oil suppliers from the Middle East, North Africa and Asia to bolster supplies to Europe in coming weeks, in an effort to blunt the threat that Russia could cut off fuel shipments in the escalating conflict over Ukraine,” the New York Times reports.

“European allies have been cautious in public about how far they would go in placing severe sanctions on Moscow if it invades Ukraine. Germany has been especially wary; it has shuttered many of its nuclear plants, increasing its dependence on natural gas imports to generate electricity.”

Rolling Stone: “At this point in human evolution, burning coal for power is one of the stupidest things humans do. Coal plants are engines of destruction, not progress. Thanks to the rapid evolution of clean energy, there are many better, cheaper, cleaner ways to power our lives. The only reason anyone still burns coal today is because of the enormous political power and inertia that the industry has acquired since the 19th century.”

“In America, that power and inertia is embodied in the cruel and cartoonish character of West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who, paradoxically, may have more control over the trajectory of the climate crisis than any other person on the planet right now.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) announced her backing for what would be the nation’s first statewide gas ban for new buildings, adding fuel to a simmering national battle, Energy Wire reports.

Sara Goddard: 22 climate actions we need to see in 2022.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) “has rejected a provision that would prohibit all future drilling off the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts as well as the eastern Gulf of Mexico,” the Washington Post reports.

“He also expressed surprise at top Democrats’ decision to include language ending an oil and gas leasing program in the pristine refuge, a longtime priority for party leaders and their environmentalist allies, but he has not indicated whether he will oppose it.”

“The Biden administration has approved more oil and gas drilling permits on public lands per month than the Trump administration did during the first three years of Donald Trump’s presidency,” the Washington Post reports.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) “promised that the state’s electric grid would be able to withstand pressures caused by any potential winter storm that occurs this year,” the Houston Chronicle reports.

Said Abbott: “Listen, very confident about the grid. And I can tell you why, for one: I signed almost a dozen laws that make the power grid more effective. I can guarantee the lights will stay on.”