COAL ASH: A North Carolina epidemiologist says Duke Energy used its connections in state government to try to override health recommendations on water near coal ash ponds. (Winston-Salem Journal)

ALSO:
Alabama, Georgia and Florida are failing to regulate coal ash under new federal rules, says a regional environmental group. (Southern Alliance for Clean Energy)
• Commissioners in Anson County, North Carolina prepare to block any ash headed its way. (Anson Record)
Dominion Virginia Power tries to assure the media and public its dumping of ash wastewater into large creek in northern Virginia is safe. (Prince William Times)

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RENEWABLES:
• Dominion Virginia Power links up with a new Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance aimed at helping utilities meet growing corporate demand for clean power. (GreenBiz)
• A bill in the North Carolina Senate to add regulatory and permit requirements appears to going nowhere, for now. (Charlotte Business Journal)
Thought leaders in West Virginia gather to focus on job-creating opportunities in renewable sources of electricity. (The Herald-Dispatch)

OIL & GAS:
• The Obama administration issues the first regulations designed to cut methane emissions. (New York Times)
• More than 88,000 gallons of crude oil spill into the Gulf of Mexico south of Louisiana due to a leak that has been capped. (New Orleans Times-Picayune)

SOLAR:
• Nowhere is the divide between advocates and utilities over solar’s value more stark than in the Southeast. (Utility Dive)
• What would be the largest rooftop solar system in Tennessee is planned for a new IKEA store in Memphis. (The Chattanoogan)

FRACKING: St. Petersburg, Florida prepares to pass an anti-fracking ordinance by June. (Saint Peters Blog)

COAL: The federal government challenges Alpha Natural Resources’ restructuring plan signaling it ignores the possibility it may need to liquidate. (SNL)

GRID:
• A national non-profit applauds South Carolina and two other states for “much improved” interconnection standards for renewable energy systems. (Interstate Renewable Energy Council)
Utilities push back against a federal proposal to allow private citizens to sue parties seen as trying to manipulate power markets via regional grids that include several Southeast states. (EnergyWire, SNL)

UTILITIES:
Florida-based NextEra Energy reportedly has renewed interest in acquiring power delivery company Oncor. (Bloomberg)
Dominion Resources unveils a plan for a new LEED-certified headquarters complex in Richmond, Virginia. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

OFFSHORE DRILLING: An expert answers questions about seismic testing off the coast of North Carolina. (Coastal Review)

***SPONSORED LINK: Register today for Solar Power Southeast, May 25-26 in Atlanta. This year’s event will include educational sessions as well as a completely sold out exhibit floor. Get a 15% discount with code SPSE16SACE. ***

EFFICIENCY: The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s “zero-energy” Brock Center in Virginia is formally declared a “living building” by the International Living Future Institute. (Virginian-Pilot)

COMMENTARY:
• A proposed offer of 100% renewable electricity for Virginia customers of Appalachian Power heeds demand but also blocks competition. (Power for the People VA blog)
• A cry for coal ash relief in North Carolina. (Raleigh News & Observer)

Jim Pierobon, a policy, marketing and social media strategist, was a founding contributor to Southeast Energy News. He passed away after a long battle with pancreatic cancer in 2018.

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