COAL: A new report by McKinsey & Co. concludes coal companies will not be able to meet their growing environmental and financial liabilities. (Platts)

ALSO:
• Louisiana puts a hold on a controversial export terminal. (New Orleans Times-Picayune)
• This map illustrates the growing economic distress throughout Appalachia amid coal’s decline. (Equal Voices News)

***SPONSORED LINK: Register now for WINDPOWER 2016 – the wind energy industry’s largest annual conference, May 23-26 in New Orleans. Register here. ***

COAL ASH: South Carolina is leading Southeast states in how it disposes or reuses its ash. (Southern Alliance for Clean Energy)

UTILITIES:
FirstEnergy is trying to shift the risks of running uncompetitive coal plants in West Virginia from shareholders to ratepayers. (Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis)
Duke Energy asks North Carolina to require opponents of a proposed natural gas plant to post a $50 million bond if their planned appeal to scrap the plant fails. (Charlotte Business Journal)

RENEWABLES: A new poll in North Carolina finds strong support for policies that foster continued growth in renewable energy. (WRAL)

CLEAN POWER PLAN:
• The biggest shift to come from the plan – burning less coal – is already happening throughout most of the Southeast U.S. (Washington Post)
• Polling shows strong public support for the plan in Florida, along with other states where attorneys general are fighting it. (Midwest Energy News)

TECHNOLOGY: Oracle’s acquisition of utility software provider Opower shows the increasing importance of customer data. (EnergyWire)

SOLAR:
• Fifty-six homeowners have signed up for a solar system via a bulk-purchasing co-op in Athens, Georgia. (Athens Banner-Herald)
• A national solar installation company sets its sights on North Carolina’s market with its first office in the state. (Charlotte Observer)

NUCLEAR:
Dominion defends hefty spending to explore additional reactors in Virginia. (Utility Dive)
• The TVA says its new Watts Bar 2 reactor will begin generating electricity this month. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)
• Despite rising costs, Georgia Power says it’s setting the standard for building new reactors at its Plant Vogtle. (WJBF)

PIPELINES:
• Federal regulators extend the time frame for public comments about the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline route through western Virginia. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
• A property owner in Virginia sued by developers of the Mountain Valley Pipeline accuses them of “blatant intimidation.” (Roanoke Times)

TRANSPORTATION: United Parcel Service upgrades its electric hybrid delivery trucks to boost fuel efficiency. (Louisville Courier-Journal)

***SPONSORED LINK: Register today for Solar Power Southeast, May 25-26 in Atlanta. This year’s event will include educational sessions as well as a completely sold out exhibit floor. Get a 15% discount with code SPSE16SACE. ***

EFFICIENCY: A Mississippi county agrees to a free energy audit of its buildings and then an estimate of what efficiency improvements will cost. (Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal)

COMMENTARY:
• Pipelines proposed to run through Virginia pose a simple choice: natural beauty or natural gas? (Science Line)
• Utilities in the Southeast U.S. should stop blocking or inhibiting solar’s growth. (The New York Times / Southern Environmental Law Center)
• Some in West Virginia are ready to move beyond coal. (Bay Journal News Service)
• Lawmakers should lift the cap on the number of Tesla stores in Georgia. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

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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