BIOMASS: A British company applies for an air quality permit to build a wood pellet plant in rural Robeson County, North Carolina, raising environmental justice concerns. (NC Policy Watch)
PIPELINES: The West Virginia House passes a bill that increases penalties for damaging, disrupting, or trespassing on property containing “critical infrastructure” facilities such as pipelines. (Register-Herald)
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COAL: Scientists and advocates are replanting tens of thousands of acres of trees across Appalachia to restore forests destroyed by mountaintop removal mining. (Washington Post)
OIL & GAS: Two years after leaks caused federal regulators to close liquefied natural gas storage tanks at a Louisiana export terminal, Cheniere Energy has met less than half the conditions for reopening. (E&E News, subscription)
UTILITIES:
• The decision over whether to sell state-owned utility Santee Cooper is expected to dominate the South Carolina legislature’s time this year. (Associated Press)
• Duke Energy’s CEO discusses the utility’s bid to buy Santee Cooper, and changes to the Atlantic Coast Pipeline ownership. (Charlotte Business Journal, subscription)
• Duke Energy says its five-year plan is to spend $56 billion to create a smarter grid to support clean energy. (E&E News, subscription)
SOLAR:
• Dominion Energy announces plans to build a 100 MW solar project in Virginia to help power Facebook’s operations. (Renewables Now)
• A judge rules that an energy company must pay a Florida county property taxes on federal land it’s using to build a solar project. (Destin Log)
WIND: Southern Power’s 100 MW wind farm in Oklahoma’s Ouachita Mountains is now in operation. (Examiner-Enterprise)
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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: More than 700 people in rural Buncombe County, North Carolina, drive electric vehicles, many incentivized by federal tax credits, according to a report. (WLOS)
COMMENTARY:
• An editorial board endorses a Democrat and Republican primary candidate for Texas Railroad Commissioner, which regulates the oil and gas industry. (Dallas Morning News)
• South Carolina utility Santee Cooper needs to finalize the deal to sell off parts from the failed nuclear reactor plant, an editorial board says. (Post and Courier)
• Texas, a wind energy leader, is ready for a solar boom to help stabilize the renewable energy market, a wind energy company executive says. (Greentech Media)