OFFSHORE DRILLING: A letter to President Obama signed by 66 businesses along the East Coast steps up their appeal to permanently ban drilling before he leaves office. (The Hill, Environment America)

COAL ASH:
• The just-passed Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act could complicate Kentucky’s and other state’s plans for disposing of their ash. (WFPL)
• About 500 households in rural West Virginia near a waste storage site begin their fourth day without usable drinking water. (Commonwealth Journal)

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HYDROPOWER: A project developer sees significant power generation potential for West Virginia and neighboring states from dams along the Ohio River. (West Virginia Public Broadcasting)

OIL & GAS: A South Florida developer ramps up its bid to drill in the Everglades. (SunSentinel)

SOLAR:
• Duke Energy denies charges it is delaying applications for new solar projects in the Carolinas. (Charlotte Business Journal)
• A North Carolina county waives most of an installer’s property tax bill after it admitted filing for an exemption 10 months late. (Raleigh News & Observer)

POLICY: Sen. Joe Manchin, D-WV reportedly visits with President-elect Trump about heading the Dept. of Energy but that nomination reportedly goes to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry. (Washington Post, CBS News)

APPALACHIA: An emerging web of entrepreneurs, community organizations and government programs is demonstrating one model for the region’s move beyond coal. (Co.Exist)

WEST VIRGINIA: The rise in natural gas production boosts property taxes flowing into several counties. (Herald-Star)

COAL: The CEO of West Virginia-based Murray Energy tempers the state’s expectations of a rebound after President-elect Trump takes office. (West Virginia Metro News)

EFFICIENCY: A coalition of elderly citizens, students and the working middle class combined to support St. Petersburg, Florida’s commitment to 100% “energy freedom.” (Clean Technica)

UTILITIES: A new agreement among utilities in Kentucky complicates efforts by advocates to boost efficiency and renewable energy sources. (The State Journal)

NUCLEAR: A South Carolina congressman says a revival of the stalled Yucca Mountain waste repository in Nevada could take some waste destined for the his state. (The State)

PIPELINES: More than 150 people pack a county meeting in central Virginia to strengthen their opposition to a compressor station sought for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. (WMRA)

CLIMATE: A new study by researchers from Florida State University, Georgia Tech and others finds peatlands in the Southeast and elsewhere may not succumb to global warming as easily as scientists thought. (news release)

GRID: PJM’s Board of Managers approve almost $260 million in transmission reliability upgrades. (RTO Insider)

COMMENTARY:
• The mayor of Miami Beach calls on President-elect Trump to build a wall to protect it from climate change. (Time)
• Sen. Mitch McConnell defends his role in a temporary extension of health benefits for coal miners. (Lexington Herald-Leader)
• A recently-completed environmental impact assessment underscores the benefits of the Clean Line interstate transmission project’s plan to bring wind-generated power to the Southeast. (Southern Alliance for Clean Energy)