PIPELINES: A new bill pre-filed in the Kentucky legislature would make it a felony to trespass on “key infrastructure assets,” including pipelines. (WFPL)
ALSO: Atlantic Coast Pipeline construction is still halted, but developers say they’ll find out in October if the Supreme Court will hear the case. (WV News)
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UTILITIES: To avoid being sold, South Carolina utility Santee Cooper plans to overhaul its business by adding solar energy and potentially a gas-fired power plant, and studying cost-sharing arrangements. (Post and Courier)
SOLAR:
• A recently completed solar farm in North Carolina is severely damaged by Hurricane Dorian. (13 News Now)
• A Texas county moves forward with plans to build a solar farm that will create over 600 MW of power. (Cameron Herald)
• Solar panel installers sue a closed Mississippi solar plant, alleging it failed to fulfill contracts and reimburse prepayments. (Associated Press)
• Two Fayetteville, Arkansas, wastewater treatment plants now run on solar energy, after a new solar project comes online. (Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)
GRID: Power prices crashed in Texas on Friday as electricity customers responded to requests from the state’s grid operator to reduce their energy use. (Reuters)
COAL:
• The hearing continues on whether bankrupt Blackjewel’s stockpiles of coal should stay or be moved, with an answer expected this week. (WYMT)
• The coal miners’ union expresses doubts that a transition from coal will be inclusive of miners and mining communities. (Greentech Media)
COAL ASH: Two environmental groups withdraw a U.S. Supreme Court petition to force the Tennessee Valley Authority to remove coal ash in Tennessee, saying the company has agreed to cleanup based on a state order. (Reuters)
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OIL & GAS:
• A former executive at a Kentucky oil and natural gas company is sentenced to federal prison for embezzlement. (Lexington Herald Leader)
• Permian Basin natural gas prices are up as a major pipeline project along the Gulf Coast nears completion. (WorldOil)
• Scientists say that even if Oklahoma stops injecting fracking wastewater into the ground, the earthquakes won’t stop. (Scientific American)
COMMENTARY:
• North Carolina residents are at the mercy of their utility company, and a new ratemaking bill will give the company more control, a Republican lawmaker writes. (WRAL)
• The court decision over whether the Atlantic Coast Pipeline can cross the Appalachian Trail will have ripple effects for natural gas projects, an editorial board writes. (Roanoke Times)