UTILITIES: Duke Energy says it will own or purchase 8,000 megawatts of renewable energy by 2020, a 33% jump from its current goal. (Charlotte Observer)
STORAGE: A White House climate policy official told a conference in Charlotte it will convene a national summit on storage and renewables this summer. (Charlotte Business Journal)
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NUCLEAR: The Securities and Exchange Commission denies Dominion’s bid to block a resolution at its May 11 shareholders meeting about the financial risks of adding a new reactor. (Blue Virginia blog)
OFFSHORE DRILLING: Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida is among senators introducing a bill that would prohibit seismic testing. (Institute for Southern Studies)
OIL & GAS: Louisiana and other states heavily dependent on oil and natural gas face lasting effects of volatile oil prices and growth in electric vehicles. (New Orleans Times-Picayune)
SOLAR:
• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finalizes an agreement to build a large solar system at the Redstone Arsenal in Alabama. (WAAY)
• Albany, Georgia illustrates the transition to cleaner power supplies in the Peach State. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
• Interest in private and community solar ticks up in an Alabama county. (Cullman Times)
• A community college in southwest Virginia earns accolades for deploying solar in education. (Kingsport Times News)
COAL ASH:
• A Georgia congressman introduces a bill to prohibit utilities from dumping ash in landfills designed for household garbage. (Southern Alliance for Clean Energy)
• Environmentalists stage a symbolic funeral as Dominion Virginia Power discharges ash wastewater into the James River. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
CLEAN POWER PLAN: A conservative energy group steps up efforts in Virginia and other states to bar funding for the Clean Power Plan until the Supreme Court decides on its legality. (ClimateWire)
PIPELINES: A bill emerging in the House would give the Department of Transportation authority to shut down pipelines during emergencies. (The Hill)
NUCLEAR: The TVA’s next step in search of a buyer for its shuttered Bellefonte plant in Alabama is a webinar Monday. (Associated Press)
EFFICIENCY: A Virginia nonprofit begins a road show to educate groups about the common sense behind energy efficiency. (Longwood Rotunda)
CLIMATE: The latest in a video series by the University of North Carolina spotlights how the changing climate affects an apple harvester. (Daily Climate)
POLICY: Environmental activists in Virginia give Gov. Terry McAuliffe a D+ on an annual report card. (Virginian-Pilot)
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TRANSMISSION: The operator of the power grid that includes all of Virginia and West Virginia along with parts of Kentucky, North Carolina and Tennessee faces fresh challenges in auctioning power. (Platts)
COMMENTARY:
• A newspaper lauds North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr for his work in protecting the state’s air and water. (Winston-Salem Journal)
• A Virginia newspaper spotlights uranium mining for nuclear plants as an issue that won’t go away. (Dan River Register Bee)