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)