UTILITIES: Gulf Coast utility Entergy announces a pledge to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, with hydrogen expected to play a significant role. (Greentech Media)

ALSO:
• Southern Company’s net-zero emission plan is filled with loopholes that let it continue burning fossil fuels, a utility watchdog says. (Energy and Policy Institute)
• Duke Energy’s head of long-term planning discusses the utility’s plans for reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. (Charlotte Business Journal)
• Memphis’ municipal utility board votes to hire a consultant firm to explore alternatives to buying power from the Tennessee Valley Authority. (Daily Memphian)

***SPONSORED LINK: The National Solar Tour is going virtual! Sep. 24-Oct. 4. Meet solar owners from around the country. Hear about their experience going solar. Explore new technologies. Learn about solar’s role in energy equity and community empowerment.***

OFFSHORE DRILLING: Despite a surprise moratorium on offshore drilling in the South Atlantic, President Trump’s administration says it will move forward with permitting for seismic exploration in the region. (Coastal Review Online)

SOLAR:
• An Arkansas school board approves a solar energy project that’s expected to save the district nearly $10 million over 28 years. (Democrat Gazette)
• A Virginia county approves a permit for a $100 million, ground-mounted solar project slated for construction in the second half of 2021. (Winchester Star)
• A large solar farm announced this week in Texas will encompass about 1,000 acres and cost between $125 million and $130 million. (Dallas Business Journal)
• A special use permit for a proposed Virginia solar farm will expire next month if the developer can’t get final approval to start construction. (Culpeper Times)

STORAGE: A Texas electric cooperative becomes the first in the state to install a utility-scale battery storage system at a substation. (Corridor News)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Tennessee’s top environmental regulator says electric vehicles will be key to both the state’s environmental and economic future. (Times Free Press)

CLEAN ENERGY: A South Carolina congressman says the state’s energy mix is in the middle of the pack in terms of emissions, “but we need to do a lot more.” (WBTW)

PIPELINES: West Virginia joins a 17-state coalition asking a federal appeals court to reverse a lower court ruling that halted pipeline construction nationwide. (WVNews)

OIL & GAS: Oil well drilling fluid flows through a Corpus Christi neighborhood after heavy rains washed it away from its approved dumping site. (KRIS)

COAL: A Texas municipal power agency finalizes the sale of a coal plant and reservoir to an environmental remediation firm that will redevelop the site. (The Eagle)

CLIMATE:
• The city of Austin seeks community feedback on an updated climate equity plan that calls for more trees and more electric vehicles. (KVUE)
• Melting wax statues placed in Miami, Tampa and Orlando are intended to raise awareness about the climate crisis and its threat to Florida. (WESH)

ACTIVISM: Kent Bailey, a longtime leader of the Tampa Bay Sierra Club, died Tuesday at age 69 of a heart attack, friends said. (Tampa Bay Times)

COMMENTARY:
• Memphis’ municipal utility needs to explore the open market for better options before committing to another contract with the Tennessee Valley Authority, writes a co-founder of a local civic group. (Commercial Appeal)
• A Catholic priest says solar panels on his Virginia church have cut its energy bills and are a reminder “that we are caring for God’s earth.” (Virginian-Pilot)

Avatar photo

Dan Haugen

Dan has two decades' experience working in print, digital and broadcast media. Prior to joining the Energy News Network as managing editor in December 2017, he oversaw watchdog reporting at the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, part of the USA Today Network, and before that spent several years as a freelance journalist covering energy, business and technology. Dan is a former Midwest Energy News journalism fellow and a member of Investigative Reporters and Editors. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and mass communications from University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.