COAL ASH: As expected, North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory vetoes a coal ash oversight bill, saying it is “not good for the environment or for the rule of law.” Background on the bill here. (Raleigh News & Observer, Southeast Energy News archive)

ALSO:
• Virginia regulators issue the first draft of a permit that would allow Dominion Virginia Power to release treated water from coal ash facilities into the James River. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
• A judge’s order affirms removal of coal ash from four North Carolina sites, which is already underway. (WCQS)

SOLAR:
• A stakeholder group, including a solar trade organization and the state’s largest utility, aims to break the “chilling atmosphere” for solar in Virginia. (Southeast Energy News)
• South Carolina cooperatives announce plans for as much as 5 MW of community solar. (Associated Press)

COAL:
• Federal regulators worry taxpayers will be stuck with a $1 billion bill for cleaning up after bankrupt coal companies. (New York Times)
• A mudslide from a surface mine damages homes in Kentucky. (Louisville Courier-Journal)

CLIMATE: An Atlanta-based carpet company announces a sustainability plan that includes relying on 100 percent renewable energy by 2020. (GreenBiz)

ACTIVISM:
• Nebraska activist Jane Kleeb, noted for her role in defeating the Keystone XL pipeline, joins opponents of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline in Virginia and West Virginia. (Charlottesville Daily Progress)
• Duke Energy becomes a regular target of street theater protests in Charlotte. (Charlotte Observer)

UTILITIES:
• A Florida company says “neither party has terminated the deal” as a key deadline passes in its proposed acquisition of a Hawaii utility. (South Florida Business Journal)
• Kentucky utilities turn to natural gas amid tougher pollution rules. (Daily Energy Insider)
• State officials approve two new units at a Virginia power plant. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
• Time Warner Cable says it’s being bullied by North Carolina co-ops over leasing fees for utility poles. (Raleigh News & Observer)

WIND: A Virginia county objects to a wind farm in a neighboring county, saying it didn’t have any role in the approval process. (Roanoke Times)

NUCLEAR: A Florida lawmaker urges the state to “get this right on the first try” as it deals with contamination from a nuclear plant’s cooling canals. (WLRN)

COMMENTARY:
• Why the Tennessee Valley Authority is ahead of the pack on nuclear and solar. (Forbes)
• Three charts show why the Kemper “clean coal” plant in Mississippi is a bad deal for ratepayers. (Mississippi Watchdog)

Ken is the director of the Energy News Network at Fresh Energy and is a founding editor of both Midwest Energy News and Southeast Energy News. Prior to joining Fresh Energy, he was the managing editor for online news at Minnesota Public Radio. He started his journalism career in 2002 as a copy editor for the Duluth News Tribune before spending five years at the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, where he worked as a copy editor, online producer, features editor and night city editor. A Nebraska native, Ken has a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master's degree from the University of Oregon. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors.

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