CLEAN POWER PLAN:
Georgia halts steps toward complying with the plan. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Kentucky’s energy chief cancels public meetings to hear options for complying with the Plan as coal industry and state leaders celebrate the Supreme Court’s ruling. (Associated Press / Louisville Courier-Journal)
• Virginia’s Governor, Dominion Virginia Power and stakeholders vow to continue working toward complying with the plan. (Associated Press)
West Virginia’s governor says the state will continue working on the feasibility of complying with the plan. (Associated Press)
Duke Energy’s adoption of solar energy and moves toward new nuclear reactors may be slowed by the Court’s stay of the plan. (Charlotte Business Journal)
West Virginia Sen. Shelly Moore Capito says the court’s decision can help “stop the bleeding” in the coal industry for a short time. (WTRF-TV)
Florida’s Attorney General hails the Supreme Court’s ruling as a victory for “the rule of law.” (Florida Politics)
• Attorneys General from West Virginia and Georgia say they are motivated by saving jobs and capping electricity costs, not mitigating climate change. (Associated Press / WABE Public Radio)
• A spokesman for the Jacksonville Electric Authority in Florida says halting the plan would save its customers money. (WOKV Radio)

SOLAR:
Florida is in other states’ shadows as solar job growth shines elsewhere. (Palm Beach Post)
North Carolina’s nearly 6,000 solar jobs ranks 9th nationally. (Charlotte Observer)
Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee saw strong growth in solar jobs in 2015. (Greentech Media)
• Solar leaders and advocates in North Carolina address what happens after panels’ working lives expire or they are damaged by extreme weather. (WRAL.com)
• Two solar projects bring about 180 temporary jobs to Lamar County, Mississippi. (Hattiesburg American)

NUCLEAR: A reactor at Duke Energy’s Brunswick plant is shut down for repairs needed after a fire damaged electrical equipment. (WECT-TV / EnergyBlogs.com)

ELECTRIC METERS: Duke Energy will propose an extra fee on customers who refuse to accept a smart meter for their homes. (Raleigh News & Observer)

COAL ASH: A second group is challenging Dominion Virginia Power over its plans to discharge millions of gallons of coal ash wastewater into or near a major river. (Associated Press)

WIND: A university faculty member and graduate student installs a system in western North Carolina to measure viability for a wind farm. (The Appalachian)

OFFSHORE DRILLING: Opponents welcome a new delay in permitting for seismic testing off the North Carolina coast. (Outer Banks Sentinel)

LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS: Activists opposed to the expansion of a liquified natural gas facility on Georgia’s coast call for a complete environmental impact assessment. (Savannah Morning News)

COMMENTARY:
• Louisiana deserves more, and the federal government less, of Gulf oil and natural gas royalties. (New Orleans Times-Picayune)
Uniontown, Alabama is paying a steep price for taking coal ash from the TVA’s massive 2008 ash spill. (The Times-Tribune)
Solar energy is a bright idea for cash-strapped state schools. (Greensboro News & Record)
• Unless enough Virginians can change the minds of their lawmakers, solar will continue to be difficult to justify in the state. (The Roanoke Times)

Jim Pierobon, a policy, marketing and social media strategist, was a founding contributor to Southeast Energy News. He passed away after a long battle with pancreatic cancer in 2018.

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