PIPELINES: Georgia’s legislature approves a temporary moratorium on pipeline projects. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
ALSO:
• The company developing the Sabal Trail pipeline has filed 160 eminent domain lawsuits in Alabama, Georgia and Florida; Georgia lawmakers reject a bill that would grant easements for the project. (Orlando Sentinel, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
• Developers of the Atlantic Coast pipeline say purchase agreements are in place for 96 percent of the project’s capacity. (Associated Press)
***SPONSORED LINK: It’s time to register for WINDPOWER 2016 – the wind energy industry’s largest annual conference. This year, the conference will be held from May 23-26 in New Orleans. Register here. ***
CLEAN ENERGY: St. Petersburg launches an effort to become the first Florida city to run on 100 percent renewable energy. (SaintPetersBlog)
CLIMATE: At a Florida event, the director of the Sierra Club says he believes the Republican party will eventually acknowledge climate change. (SaintPetersBlog)
OIL AND GAS: Despite the White House decision not to allow drilling off the Atlantic coast, seismic testing will continue. (Coastal Review Online)
COAL ASH:
• A Georgia congressman introduces a bill calling for tougher oversight of coal ash disposal. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
• Hundreds attend a North Carolina hearing to question Duke Energy about the safety of water near coal ash facilities. (WSOC)
COAL:
• A Mississippi Public Service commissioner discusses the ongoing regulatory challenges surrounding the over-budget and behind-schedule Kemper plant. (Mississippi Watchdog)
• An injured West Virginia miner sues Arch Coal, alleging unsafe working conditions. (West Virginia Record)
• At a Tennessee event, a Labor Department official says mine safety has improved over the past five years. (Associated Press)
• A West Virginia congressman pushes to limit EPA funding to prevent what he calls the “war on coal agenda.” (WTAP)
• A Kentucky coal company is cited for a mine waste spill into a river over the weekend. (WKYU)
NUCLEAR:
• Environmental groups plan to sue a Florida utility over water contamination from the Turkey Point nuclear plant. (New York Times)
• A Florida class-action lawsuit targets two utilities seeks refunds for ratepayers for work on nuclear projects that were never completed. (Greene Publishing)
• Federal regulators say two Arkansas reactors need greater oversight to address safety issues. (Russellville Courier)
VW: Kentucky’s attorney general is suing Volkswagen over “false and misleading promotion” of its diesel cars. (WKYU)
SOLAR:
• A report from the North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center maps out solar policy changes across the U.S. (Utility Dive)
• A poll suggests solar policy debates could influence elections in swing states, including Virginia, North Carolina and Florida. (PV Tech)
• A Tennessee science teacher develops his own community-scale solar powered composting facility. (Johnson City Press)
• The University of Tennessee Extension Services unveils a new portable solar array that will serve as an educational tool. (Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle)
UTILITIES: New Orleans city council says the city’s exit from a complex utility system agreement will save ratepayers money. (Baton Rouge Advocate)
COMMENTARY:
• Why is Virginia a “dark state” for solar power? (Bacon’s Rebellion)
• “Whipsawing people” with confusing coal ash advisories isn’t helpful. (Fayetteville Observer)
• As coal declines, West Virginia “should plan for the different economy that inevitably must follow.” (Charleston Gazette-Mail)
• A Kentucky utility’s grant to a community college is a small step toward a post-coal economy. (Ashland Daily Independent)