CLIMATE:
• A precedent set by the Clean Air Act for interstate pollution pacts may help affirm the legality of the Clean Power Plan’s bid to reduce carbon emissions and overcome opposition by Sen. McConnell. (E&E)
• Tampa leaders are brainstorming how to reduce the city’s carbon footprint. (The Tampa Tribune)
• Bank of America is reducing its exposure to coal companies. (Reuters)
COAL ASH: The TVA will retire the last coal-burning unit at an Alabama power plant four years early to avoid complying with stricter regulations. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)
UTILITIES:
• Chattanooga’s energy utility is serving as a lab for researching fiber-optic and other high-tech applications. (E&E)
• Shouting “stop blocking rooftop solar,” demonstrators interrupt Duke Energy’s annual shareholders meeting. (Charlotte Business Journal)
• Florida Power & Light will survey storm damage using camera-equipped drones. (WPTV)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• EV owners in Georgia are weighing a class-action suit over the state’s new $200-a-year fee. (WABE Public Radio)
• Georgia Power rolls out 32 EVs for its energy efficiency services. (Atlanta Business Chronicle)
BP OIL SPILL: A BP oil spill claims administrator now can subpoena records to investigate fraudulent claims. (The Times-Picayune)
PIPELINES: The U.S. Forest Service OKs surveying the George Washington National Forest in Virginia for a proposed natural gas pipeline. (Associated Press)
SOLAR: Volkswagon is lauded for its LEED-certified Tennessee facility, which includes the state’s largest solar array. (The Pulse)
COMMENTARY: Maybe political gridlock is good for clean energy legislation. (Saint Peters Blog)