COAL: A high-tech manufacturing training center built with federal grants near a reclaimed coal mine has trained nearly 200 eastern Kentucky workers — most of them men, many of them laid-off coal miners. (Energy News Network)
ALSO: West Virginia regulators have failed to comply with state and federal law in overseeing its coal mining reclamation program, creating a risk of insolvency, according to a legislative audit. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)
PIPELINES: The use of eminent domain by the proposed Byhalia Connection pipeline in Memphis, Tennessee, sparks a debate over property rights. (E&E News, subscription)
OIL & GAS: A judge opens the door for environmentalists to challenge Texas regulators’ approval of a permit for a proposed gas plant in El Paso, Texas. (El Paso Herald-Post)
COAL ASH: A ship runs aground between Puerto Rico and Georgia, spilling up to 8,000 tons of coal ash off the coast of Florida. (WMFE)
NUCLEAR: Georgia Power announces equipment at a new unit under construction at the Plant Vogtle nuclear facility has been energized, allowing testing to begin. (WRDW)
SOLAR:
• Federal regulators express concerns about Alabama’s decision to allow a utility to charge a monthly fee to rooftop solar customers, setting up a bigger fight in federal court. (E&E News, subscription)
• Duke Energy begins construction on a 250 MW solar plant in Texas. (PV Tech)
• A regional Arkansas bank breaks ground on a 4.8 MW solar plant to power its corporate headquarters and up to 40 locations. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)
• The Tennessee Valley Authority issues a request for proposals to build utility-scale solar and battery storage projects that need to become operational by the end of 2024. (Renewables Now)
UTILITIES:
• A Florida city pauses its plan to bury utility lines after Florida Power and Light Co.’s cost to complete its portion triples its estimates. (Anna Maria Islander)
• Texas regulators consider whether to end a moratorium on utility shutoffs for nonpayment. (Dallas Morning News)
• A Kentucky city’s utility regulators vote unanimously to recommend the city not sell its municipal utility to a private company. (Henderson Gleaner)
GRID: A South Carolina city council seeks grant funding to upgrade a tie-in with the electric grid to reduce outages. (Index-Journal)
EFFICIENCY: A Virginia county board considers adjusting its tax code to incentivize solar panels, energy efficiency upgrades and other improvements in commercial structures. (Central Virginian)
COMMENTARY:
• Legislation to reform South Carolina’s state-owned Santee Cooper leaves much to be desired but still marks a step toward fixing the troubled utility, writes an editorial board. (Post and Courier)
• North Carolina Republicans’ decision to block the nomination of a new environmental regulator was self-destructive and shows the natural gas industry’s desperation to shore up its investments, writes a reporter. (New Republic)
• A conservative radio and TV commentator argues a hedge fund’s attempt to split Duke Energy into multiple companies could lead to a bad deal for Florida electric customers. (Tampa Bay Times)
• Tennessee’s focus on attracting advanced energy companies has paid off, writes an electric company official and advanced energy advocate. (Commercial Appeal)