NUCLEAR: Georgia Power tells state regulators that “every option is on the table” to pursue completion of the Plant Vogtle expansion. (Atlanta Journal Constitution)

ALSO:
• The owners of the V.C. Summer and Vogtle nuclear projects will pay more than $165 million in liens filed last week against the plants. (Charlotte Business Journal, subscription)
• Westinghouse has received tentative permission to take out an $800 million bankruptcy loan. (Reuters)

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POLICY: A North Carolina bill seeks to reduce the state’s renewable energy standard, already one of the lowest in the country. (Wilmington Star News)

GRID: A report from the PJM Interconnection says the grid can handle more natural gas and renewables but cautions against relying too much on a single energy source. (PennLive)

COAL:
• Kentucky lawmakers passed a proposal on Thursday to reduce the coal industry’s costs to cover claims by workers suffering from black lung disease. (Associated Press)
• A 33-year-old miner was killed Thursday in a rock collapse at a Kentucky coal mine. (Associated Press)
• “Climate-friendly” coal technology, including Mississippi Power’s Kemper plant, works but is proving difficult to scale up. (NPR)
• President Donald Trump’s executive action to roll back regulations makes some industry leaders in West Virginia feel “positive” about coal’s future. (Register-Herald)

PIPELINES: Georgia lawmakers passed legislation on Thursday making it harder for pipeline companies to use the power of eminent domain to take private property along proposed pipeline routes. (Atlanta Business Chronicle)

CLEAN POWER PLAN:
• Thirty-five Democrats, including Florida Congressman Charlie Crist, have filed legislation to prevent the implementation of President Trump’s order to repeal the Clean Power Plan. (St. Peters Blog)
• An EPA news release mistakenly attributes a quote criticizing the president to a Georgia Republican. (Bloomberg)

SOLAR:
• The Suniva solar product manufacturer has laid off more than 100 employees at its Georgia facility and closed operations in Michigan. (PV Magazine)
• Virginia regulators approve a 17 MW solar array at a Navy installation. (Virginia Business)
• A Kentucky distribution cooperative plans seven solar projects in the western part of the state. (Associated Press)

UTILITIES:
• Advocates push back on Duke Energy’s decision to have an online-only shareholders meeting, which they say an effort to duck criticism. (Tampa Bay Times)
• Piedmont Natural Gas will have its newly renovated $8 million customer contact and resource center in Fayetteville LEED certified. (Charlotte Business Journal)

TECHNOLOGY: A team of researchers from universities in North Carolina and others are working to reinvent and protect America’s power grid. (Vanderbilt University)

COMMENTARY:
• Should we even try to save the coal industry? (The Times-Picayune)
• President Donald Trump’s repeal of the Clean Power Plan “restores at least some sanity to U.S. energy policy.” (The Intelligencer) 
• An editorial says President Donald Trump “leaves coal country high and dry.” (News Virginian)

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Ken Paulman

Ken is the director of the Energy News Network at Fresh Energy and is a founding editor of both Midwest Energy News and Southeast Energy News. Prior to joining Fresh Energy, he was the managing editor for online news at Minnesota Public Radio. He started his journalism career in 2002 as a copy editor for the Duluth News Tribune before spending five years at the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, where he worked as a copy editor, online producer, features editor and night city editor. A Nebraska native, Ken has a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master's degree from the University of Oregon. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors.