SOLAR CHOICE IN FLORIDA:
• There were no punches pulled but no discernible signals whether Florida’s Supreme Court will permit either of two proposed constitutional amendments addressing solar choice by consumers to appear on the November 2016 ballot. (Orlando Weekly)
• If the Florida Supreme Court clears the way for a pro-solar choice amendment, supporters need to collect more than 500,000 additional certified signatures of registered voters. (Miami Herald)
• A video replay of the arguments can be found here, courtesy of Florida State University.
SOLAR:
• The IRS affirmed that owners of an offsite, community-shared, solar array are eligible to take advantage of 30% federal residential income tax credit reflecting their percentage ownership. (Clean Energy States Alliance blog)
• If solar power really takes off in Louisville, expect a collision with tree and historic preservation activists. (Louisville Courier-Journal)
UTILITIES:
• State regulators approved Alabama Power’s plans to construct up to 500 megawatts of renewable energy generation in the state over the next six years. (Alabama Media Group)
• Entergy New Orleans has begun serving about 22,500 customers in nearby Algiers with electricity. (New Orleans Times-Picayune)
WIND: With its latest acquisition, Duke Energy’s renewables subsidiary has more than 1,900 megawatts of wind capacity operating in the United States. (Charlotte Business Journal)
VIRGINIA: A panel of experts sent Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe five recommendations on how to proactively mitigate climate change risks to the state. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
RENEWABLES: A green business group is transforming the way utilities such as NextEra Energy sell renewable electricity to large companies such as Walmart. (Utility Dive)
EFFICIENCY: Nest Labs released its third-generation learning thermostat with a modified design and predictive analytics. (Greentech Media)
CLIMATE: The odds of extreme tropical storms are rising and are more likely to hit Tampa, Florida and other areas that don’t yet consider themselves at high-risk, according a new study. (InsideClimate News)
ETHANOL: Low gasoline prices have driven a bioenergy company to suspend production of ethanol at its facility in Hopewell, Virginia. (WWBT-TV, Richmond)
COAL ASH: A judge temporarily halted a Duke Energy shareholder lawsuit prompted by a massive coal ash spill in North Carolina to give the company time to address related lawsuits. (Associated Press)
COAL: The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration is expected to publish a rule today that will call for coal mine shuttle cars, ram cars and scoops to have automated systems. (The Hill)
EMISSIONS: Norfolk Southern unveiled a set of new low-emission locomotives Tuesday to move freight rail cars around at the company’s facility in Atlanta. (Atlanta Business Chronicle)
OIL & GAS:
• Experimental wells in Louisiana are proving highly lucrative thanks to modern drilling techniques and the sheer volume of fossil fuels which could keep oil and natural gas prices relatively low for a long time. (The Wall Street Journal)
• The U.S. EIA is predicting natural gas production across West Virginia and other major shale regions will decrease for the first time next month. (Utility Dive)
POLITICS: The League of Conservation Voters is launching ads aimed at unseating Republican Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina. (The Hill)
COMMENTARY:
• Let coal die a natural death, without regulations designed to protect it. (Bloomberg View)
• For Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, it’s never the right time to talk about climate change’s threats to New Orleans. (New Orleans Times-Picayune)