SOLAR: A proposed amendment to the Florida Constitution backed by utilities that effectively blocks rooftop solar appears to have enough signatures to get on the November ballot. (Utility Dive)

NORTH CAROLINA:
• More North Carolinians are challenging Gov. Pat McCrory’s priorities as complaints about coal ash disposal and his meeting with Duke Energy executives grow louder. (North Carolina Policy Watch)
• Neither Duke Energy nor North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory will comment on their discussions at a private dinner last summer. (Charlotte Business Journal)

WIND: Now that utilities have declined it, a wind system off South Carolina’s coast could be dead in the water without significant private interest. (Myrtle Beach Online)

DIVESTMENT: The St. Petersburg, Florida, city council advances a measure to divest its funds from fossil fuels. (Saint Peters Blog)

BIOENERGY:
• The St. Petersburg, Florida, city council approves $67 million of upgrades to its bioenergy programs. (Saint Peters Blog)
• The would-be operator of a digester plant planned for West Louisville, Kentucky acknowledges the need to build trust with neighbors before proceeding. (Louisville Business First)

HYDROPOWER: A new study finds no significant environmental impacts from work needed to stop seepage at the Boone Dam in Tennessee. (Kingsport TimesNews)

SUSTAINABILITY: The TVA recognizes three communities in Tennessee and one in Alabama for promoting environmental sustainability as part of their economic development. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)

EFFICIENCY: Jacksonville, Florida remains one of the least energy-efficient cities in the U.S., but it’s making progress. (WJCT Public Broadcasting)

COAL ASH:
• Heavy rains New Year’s Eve weekend required an emergency response to prevent a Georgia coal ash pond from spilling over. (Southern Alliance for Clean Energy)
• Neighbors of Duke Energy’s storage sites in North Carolina demand state regulators heed their criticism about the state’s hazard rankings. (Charlotte Observer)

COAL:
• More delays loom for the Kemper coal gasification plant in Mississippi as intervenors challenge a rate increase to pay for it. (Mississippi Watchdog)
• Coal companies ask a court  to block implementation of miners’ protections against respirable coal dust. (SNL)
• Virginia is helping coal miners transition to minerals industry jobs. (Dothan Eagle)

NUCLEAR:
• Hearings are set on the impact of salinity levels near Florida Power & Light’s Turkey Point plant. (Palm Beach Post)
• A startup collaborating with the Oak Ridge National Lab in Tennessee and the University of Tennessee on small modular reactors wins $8 million in funding. (Greentech Media)

FRACKING: A panel advising the EPA criticizes a draft report for underestimating fracking’s potential impact on drinking water supplies. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)

OIL & GAS:
• The company responsible for a continuing oil leak in the Gulf sues the federal government to recover $400 million. (Associated Press)
• The West Virginia legislature plans to revisit “forced pooling” of natural gas production. (West Virginia Public Radio)

PIPELINES: North Florida’s geology poses unique risks to the Sabal Trail natural gas pipeline planned there. (Panama City News Herald)

COMMENTARY:
• North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory’s private dinner with Duke Energy executives reinforces the notion that energy policy is not the public’s business. (Charlotte Observer)
• Act, don’t just strategize, about mitigating climate change in southern Florida. (Palm Beach Post)
• As an ALEC member, what are Dominion Virginia Power’s real motives in helping develop the state’s Clean Power Plan? (The Virginian-Pilot)