EFFICIENCY: Gov. McAuliffe is fast-tracking Virginia’s energy efficiency initiatives to reduce consumption by 10% by 2020. (Daily Press)
SOLAR: The solar power constitutional amendment in Florida is closer to the 2016 ballot but still needs about 600,000 signatures. (Saint Peters Blog)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Tesla’s new dealership in Orlando is its 7th in Florida. (Orlando Business Journal)
• The FTC’s backing of Tesla’s bid to sell directly to consumers could be tested in West Virginia and other states. (Tech Crunch)
NATURAL GAS VEHICLES: A new rate structure permits TECO’s Peoples Gas to build and operate compressed natural gas stations in Orlando. (Tampa Bay Business Journal)
OIL TRAINS: Downtown Richmond, Virginia is exposed to trains transporting about 1 million gallons of crude oil at least four times per week. (WWBT-TV)
CLIMATE:
• U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla., says it’s “vital” lawmakers address climate change for the damage that could result to his district in South Florida. (ClimateWire)
• A look at the climate stance of Kentucky gubernatorial candidate James Comer. (Western Kentucky Public Radio)
UTILITIES: Southern Co. foresees several uses for drones, including restoring power more quickly. (Atlanta Business Chronicle)
COAL:
• Several federal government agencies have allocated $35.5 million to help communities and workers adapt to the decline in coal jobs. (West Virginia Public Broadcasting)
• Blaming Obama’s energy policy and the shift to natural gas, a Murray Energy unit is laying off 425 workers. (The Intelligencer)
SUSTAINABILITY:
• The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is trying to produce all of the electricity its new headquarters in Virginia Beach needs for one year with solar and wind energy. (Bay Journal)
• DeKalb County, Georgia is lauded for the second-best managed government vehicle fleet in the U.S. (Southeast Green blog)
COMMENTARY: Decisions on whether to permit fracking in Virginia belong with the commonwealth, not local jurisdictions. (The Virginian-Pilot editorial)