CLIMATE:
• President Obama faces tall hurdles persuading Congress to authorize the research and development needed to fuel U.S. pledges at the Paris climate talks, which began today. (National Journal)
• West Virginia’s attorney general wants world leaders to know the U.S. pledge to reduce carbon emissions is drawing strong opposition at home. (The Hill)
• A judge rejects a North Carolina 8th grader’s lawsuit against the state seeking stiffer rules to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. (Raleigh News & Observer)
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SOLAR:
• Google signs up for a Duke Energy program to supply power from solar and other renewable sources. (Triad Business Journal)
• A North Carolina environmental group calls on regulators to reject Duke Energy’s $1,000-a-day fine for a solar system it’s financing for a church. (Charlotte Business Journal)
• Florida’s Attorney General asks the state’s Supreme Court to review a proposed constitutional amendment backed by utilities that would outlaw third-party solar sales. (Saint Peters Blog)
• The solar co-op movement takes aim at Virginia’s capital city and home to the state’s largest utility. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
HYDROPOWER: The federal government grants Duke Energy a license to manage a portion of the Catawba River in North Carolina where it operates 13 hydroelectric plants. (Charlotte Observer)
WIND:
• Federal regulators take the first steps toward leasing areas off South Carolina’s coast for commercial wind farm development. (SNL Energy)
• A North Carolina coastal town council is set to debate offshore wind Tuesday. (The Island Gazette)
• An wind turbine manufacturing center in South Carolina owned by GE could be a major beneficiary of wind energy development off the state’s coast. (South Carolina Statehouse Report)
CLEAN ENERGY FINANCING: The first study of homes sold with property assessed clean energy financing (PACE) finds it at least covers the cost of those improvements and possibly more. (Greentech Media)
PIPELINES: Environmental activists rally in Georgia against proposed pipelines in conjunction with the Paris climate talks. (Savannah Morning News)
OFFSHORE DRILLING: The battle over authorizing oil exploration off North Carolina’s coastline escalates. (Wilmington StarNews)
NUCLEAR: Georgia regulators approve a water discharge permit for two new reactors planned at Plant Vogtle. (Automotive Business Review)
OIL & GAS:
• Chevron is set to lay off 350 workers as it prepares to sell interests in shallow Gulf of Mexico drilling prospects. (New Orleans Times-Picayune)
• Florida-based NextEra Energy sells two natural gas-fired power plants in Texas. (Bloomberg)
FRACKING:
• An EPA advisory board says a draft report on fracking doesn’t support the conclusion that it hasn’t caused significant damage to water supplies. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• Florida counties oppose a push by lawmakers that would short-circuit their ability to regulate or ban fracking. (Tallahasse Democrat)
• An industry database of chemicals used in fracking is disclosing a lot less than it set out to share when launched in 2011. (InsideClimate News)
UTILITIES: An electric co-op in Georgia will issue the largest refund to members in its 79-year history. (Atlanta Business Chronicle)
COAL: A coal miner’s museum is set to open soon in Rocky Top, Tennessee. (Knoxville News Sentinel)
COMMENTARY:
• If state regulators fail to act, the EPA should take over protecting North Carolina’s environment. (Raleigh News & Observer)
• It’s time to face reality: killing pollution controls won’t restore the coal industry to health. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)
• Wind turbines – not drilling rigs – make more sense for harvesting energy offshore South Carolina. (Charleston Post and Courier)