NUCLEAR: The Kentucky House approves a bill to lift the state’s ban on new nuclear plants, which one critic calls a “kick in the teeth” to the state’s coal industry. (Associated Press)

COAL: West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice has yet to take a position on legislation weakening mine oversight; a spokesman says “the last thing Gov. Justice wants to do is put our coal miners in harm’s way.” (Charleston Gazette-Mail)

SOLAR:
• Critics say a new “community solar” law in Virginia is a misnomer and another way for the state’s utilities to control the industry. (Southeast Energy News)
• As the cost of installing solar systems has dropped dramatically in the last few years, the Virginia solar industry sees an increase in demand. (Chesterfield Observer)
• A Georgia county plans to install solar panels at its water treatment plant, which will generate nearly 60 percent of the electricity needed to operate the facility. (Albany Herald)

POLITICS: Representatives from South Carolina and Florida are among House Republicans signing on to a resolution calling for action on climate change. (InsideClimate News)

NATURAL GAS: Georgia-based UPS will spend more than $90 million to build an additional six compressed natural gas fueling stations and add more natural gas-fueled vehicles to its fleet; the plan includes fueling stations in Kentucky and North Carolina. (Atlanta Business Chronicle, Louisville Courier-Journal, Triad Business Journal)

PIPELINES: As the Sabal Trail Pipeline nears completion in Georgia, many question the impact of its construction on wetlands and farmland. (Sowega Live)

OIL AND GAS:
• Mississippi lawmakers say there weren’t many energy and public utilities bills discussed during the state’s legislative session because oil and gas prices have been relatively low. (Mississippi Today)
• The Louisiana oil and gas industry continues to struggle, losing 1,800 jobs lost in January, while the state’s credit rating was lowered because of diminished tax collections tied to oil and gas production. (Fox 8, Bloomberg)

CLEAN ENERGY: North Carolina’s Fort Bragg “has become a test bed of sorts” for the military’s push for renewable energy. (Fayetteville Observer)

COMMENTARY:
• Why rolling back safety regulations won’t protect coal miners or their jobs. (The Atlantic)
• How the law that created the TVA limits solar development in Tennessee. (Knoxville Mercury)
• Banning fracking in Florida is “consistent with science and the common good.” (Tallahassee Democrat)

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.