PIPELINES: The CEO of Kinder Morgan says the company has decided that rerouting the Permian Highway Pipeline around the Blanco River in Texas “is the best option.” (Austin American-Statesman)
ALSO: Louisiana’s governor announces grants to support natural gas pipeline safety programs. (KLFY)
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EMISSIONS:
• The EPA finalizes its rollback of Obama-era methane regulations for the oil and gas industry, meaning Texas producers are no longer required to detect and repair methane leaks from wells, pipelines and storage sites. (Texas Public Radio)
• The move has exposed rifts among oil and gas producers, some of which say methane needs to be regulated. (E&E News, subscription)
SOLAR:
• As the coronavirus pandemic devastates Texas’s already struggling oil and gas industry, solar energy is on a trajectory for record growth. (Texas Observer)
• A solar project to power Toyota’s manufacturing plant in Buffalo, West Virginia, will be the largest in the state when completed. (Huntington Herald-Dispatch)
RENEWABLES: A bipartisan coalition of 64 mayors — including many in the Southeast — and Environment America call on Congress to extend solar and wind energy tax credits. (news release)
COAL: Four abandoned mine land projects, including outdoor recreation projects and industrial parks, open to the public in eastern Kentucky. (Lexington Herald-Leader)
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OIL & GAS: Louisiana is getting another $205 million in BP oil spill money to restore its coast. (Associated Press)
COMMENTARY: A clean energy advocate says Florida utilities’ electric planning process overly relies on natural gas, is too expensive, and fails to address climate change. (Southern Alliance for Clean Energy)