POLITICS: Florida lawmakers advance a pair of bills that would prevent local governments from blocking or restricting construction of “energy infrastructure” or banning natural gas hookups in new construction. (Tampa Bay Times)
PIPELINES:
• Former Vice President Al Gore will speak at a rally Sunday in Memphis to oppose the Byhalia Connection pipeline. (MLK50)
• The planned 49-mile pipeline, which would carry oil from a Memphis refinery and connect to two pipelines in Mississippi, faces growing opposition. (Mississippi Business Journal)
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SOLAR:
• Nashville’s mayor approves the installation of over 9,000 solar panels as part of three large projects at the city’s water department facilities. (WSMV-TV)
• Solar could account for 20% of Mississippi’s total electric generation if eight proposed projects totaling 806 MW are completed. (Northside Sun)
• An Arkansas rice producer wins regulatory approval to build the state’s largest commercial solar and storage system at one of its facilities. (Arkansas Business)
• A Virginia county board’s discussion before approving a 20 MW solar farm suggests it may rethink where the projects should be allowed. (Times-Dispatch)
• Solar power is gaining popularity in West Virginia’s eastern panhandle as consumers seek ways to reduce their electric bills. (WDVM-TV)
• The nonprofit supporting a West Virginia solar cooperative selects a Huntington-based company to install the projects. (Herald-Dispatch)
TRANSITION:
• The author of a recent academic report on a proposed clean energy transition in West Virginia discusses the importance of combining it with economic development and land reclamation. (American Prospect)
• The director of West Virginia University’s Energy Institute will testify this morning before a U.S. Senate committee on energy infrastructure. (WV News)
OIL & GAS:
• West Virginia’s House energy committee approves a bill critics say will result in lowering local property taxes for oil and gas wells. (Gazette-Mail)
• As the oil and gas industry declines, some Oklahoma manufacturers shift from the energy industry to building parts for the aerospace sector. (Oklahoman)
• Geologists share concerns about drilling for oil under Florida’s Big Cypress National Preserve, which could require building small dams that alter water flow. (National Parks Traveler)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A five-year-old North Carolina company aims to be a major supplier of lithium for use in electric vehicle batteries. (Wall Street Journal)
WIND: A wind farm under construction in Texas will have one of the world’s largest batteries when it is completed in the first half 2022. (Times Record News)
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CLIMATE:
• A new study shows that coastal communities are experiencing “surprisingly large” sea level rise as coastal land sinks, compounding the problem. (CNN)
• Investor-owned utilities will need to invest an additional $500 billion to harden infrastructure against climate change risks, according to a report. (Utility Dive)
COMMENTARY:
• Florida’s legislature is attacking local progress on climate change with an alarming package of bills to undermine community efforts, an assistant professor and climate justice advocate write. (SunSentinel)
• A South Carolina state representative says investments in clean energy and infrastructure benefit the state’s economy. (Post and Courier)
• President Biden should take executive action to halt the Mountain Valley Pipeline, an environmental advocate writes. (NRDC)