COAL: A judge approves a West Virginia businessman’s plan to buy certain Patriot Coal assets and launch a unique reforestation venture with carbon credits. (The Roanoke Times)
ALSO:
• A proposal to build a new coal export terminal in Louisiana draws criticism from environmental groups and the public. (New Orleans Public Radio)
• Several West Virginia counties are divided over whether to take federal aid to diversify their coal-dependent economies. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)
WIND: Federal officials describe how hundreds of turbines could be generating electricity off the Wilmington, North Carolina coastline within 10 years. (Port City Daily)
SOLAR:
• Proponents of a constitutional amendment in Florida authorizing third-party solar sales have collected about 172,000 of the roughly 683,000 signatures needed to get on the 2016 ballot. (Saint Peters Blog)
• With the prospect of a large solar project on the horizon, a Virginia county advances zoning changes to accommodate it. (Gloucester-Mathews Gazette Journal)
• A hospital in western Virginia deploys a solar system as part of its sustainability push. (Collegiate Times, Virginia Tech University)
ENERGY STORAGE: A municipal utility in southern Kentucky taps energy storage devices to reduce emissions during times of peak power demand. (Transmission & Distribution World)
CLEAN POWER PLAN: Rather than close certain coal-fired power plants, North Carolina may push utilities to increase their efficiency to meet its Clean Power Plan targets. (EnergyWire)
PIPELINES: Three contractors working on a Williams Cos. natural gas pipeline are killed and two others critically injured after an explosion in Louisiana. (Houma Today)
BLANKENSHIP TRIAL:
• Why federal prosecutors are leaning on fraud to take down former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship. (SNL)
• Blankenship tried to keep concerns about serious safety issues secret, including those that contributed to a deadly mine explosion in 2010. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)
OIL & GAS: A wildcatter wants to start prospecting for natural gas in northern Georgia. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
UTILITIES: An environmental group is pushing regulators to require Florida Power & Light to deploy more clean energy before authorizing a new natural gas-fueled power plant. (Palm Beach Post)
POWER TRANSMISSION: Following strong public opposition, Duke Energy withdraws plans to build 40 miles of large transmission lines. (Southern Environmental Law Center)
KENTUCKY: Candidates for governor vow to fight federal environmental regulations that hurt the coal industry. (Lexington Herald-Leader)
VOLKSWAGEN: Three suspended employees reportedly are responsible for engineering VW’s devices that duped emissions tests. (The Wall Street Journal)
COMMENTARY:
• Floridians should heed Al Gore’s pitch to enable solar choice. (Ocala Star Banner)
• A furniture maker in Kentucky is a good example of companies that could benefit from a proposed tax credit for combined- and waste-heat-to-power systems. (The Hill)