COAL ASH:
• North Carolina’s governor abruptly disbands a state coal ash oversight committee, and state officials are sending letters statewide stating that water near coal ash pits is safe to drink. (Raleigh News & Observer, Associated Press)
• Operators of a Georgia landfill apologize for not informing the public about plans to accept 10,000 tons of coal ash per day. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
COAL:
• Kentucky’s state Senate approves a bill eliminating state inspections of coal mines. (Lexington Herald Leader)
• The White House announces $65.8 million in economic revitalization funds for Appalachian coal communities. (Lexington Herald Leader)
• West Virginia lawmakers approve a bill allowing utilities to recover costs for coal plant upgrades without making a rate case. (Platts)
• A new Tennessee coal mining museum recalls “the good ole days when everybody had a job.” (The Oakridger)
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OIL AND GAS:
• A West Virginia county updates its ban on fracking wastewater to protect it from legal challenges. (Register-Herald)
• The Department of Labor says oil and gas workers in West Virginia and Ohio may be owed $1.5 million in back pay. (The Intelligencer / Wheeling News Register)
NUCLEAR:
• Federal regulators schedule a meeting with the Tennessee Valley Authority to discuss concerns the utility may be discouraging employees at a nuclear plant from reporting safety concerns. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)
• The TVA is taking suggestions from the public on what to do with an abandoned Alabama nuclear plant that was never completed. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)
GRID: A North Carolina company will install its first grid-scale battery storage facility – an 8 MW project in Delaware. (Charlotte Business Journal)
BLANKENSHIP TRIAL: Federal prosecutors say they oppose former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship’s request for a sentencing delay. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)
SOLAR: An Athens, Georgia solar initiative extends its deadline for applications. (Athens Banner-Herald)
NATURAL GAS: Virginia regulators approve a utility’s ongoing work to modernize natural gas infrastructure. (WVEC)
CLIMATE: A former Guardian editor talks about climate change coverage at an Alabama university: “Have we actually done justice to what is probably the biggest story in the world?” (Anniston Star)
COMMENTARY:
• A South Carolina brewery uses a solar canopy to make beer and provide shade for its customers. (Southern Alliance for Clean Energy)
• A leader of the Young Conservatives for Energy Reform discusses clean energy’s increasing importance for Republicans. (Yale E360)