PIPELINES: FERC said Wednesday it’s “inappropriate” for the regulatory body to try to figure out the climate change impact of the controversial Sabal Trail Pipeline, following a federal court ruling that regulators should have addressed the issue before approving the construction. (Tampa Bay Times)
ALSO:
• FERC said Wednesday that greenhouse gas emissions from Florida’s natural gas plants served by the new Sabal Trail pipeline will not significantly impact the environment. (Palm Beach Post)
• The Sierra Club is challenging a request to fast-track authorization for Florida’s Okeechobee lateral project, which would be an extension of the Sabal Trail natural gas pipeline. (Palm Beach Post)
• Attendees at an annual shale conference are focused on continually increasing natural gas output from the Marcellus and Utica shale stratas in several states, including in West Virginia. (Observer-Reporter)
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NUCLEAR:
• Two South Carolina utilities are selling their share of a $2.2 billion settlement over the failed Summer nuclear project in order to immediately recover 92 percent of the cash. (Associated Press)
• Following requests from South Carolina’s attorney general and lawmakers, the State Law Enforcement Division is opening a criminal investigation into the $9 billion failure of the Summer nuclear project. (Post and Courier)
COAL:
• Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin says he will oppose confirmation of a longtime coal industry executive that has been nominated to head the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)
• A new coal mine in Kentucky was awarded a conditional use permit, advancing the project despite a pending lawsuit. (WKU)
• The U.S. Attorney’s office in Alabama will announce today new charges in a public corruption case involving the Drummond Coal Company. (WBRC)
UTILITIES:
• More than 60 people spoke at a North Carolina utilities commission hearing, asking that the panel deny Duke Energy Progress’s request for a 16.7 percent rate increase that would pay for coal ash clean up. (Progressive Pulse)
• West Virginia regulators are hearing testimony on FirstEnergy’s controversial effort to transfer one of its coal-fired power plants to a West Virginia subsidiary, which opponents say would unload an uncompetitive generation station onto ratepayers. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)
GRID: Utilities say it may not be possible to keep the lights on in a major hurricane, but grid hardening and resiliency efforts help during the aftermath. (Utility Dive)
SOLAR: An annual study shows utility-scale solar prices in some southern states, including North Carolina and Florida, may go low enough to challenge existing natural gas power plants. (Southern Alliance for Clean Energy)
CLIMATE: Climate change activists held a protest at Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s Capitol Hill office on Wednesday, demanding he recognize the role of global warming and fossil fuels in recent hurricanes. (Washington Examiner)
COMMENTARY:
• Georgia-based Suniva’s request for solar panel tariffs is late, “as the U.S solar industry is already decimated,” which is the case the entire non-Chinese solar industry. (Seeking Alpha)
• Recent natural disasters, including Hurricane Irma, are an opportunity to improve – not just restore – the grid. (Slate)