OFFSHORE DRILLING: Virginia’s Lieutenant Governor breaks ranks with other state leaders and asks federal officials to exclude the state from leases sales. (The Virginian-Pilot)
FRACKING: A Florida Senate committee narrowly rejects a bill that would allow the state, not local governments, to regulate fracking operations. (News 13)
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SOLAR:
• Mississippi regulators try to avert a bid by electric co-ops to avoid payments for excess power generated by rooftop solar systems. (Associated Press)
• A new report by the North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center finds 46 states considered actions in 2015 affecting distributed solar power. (Greentech Media)
• Entergy is testing in New Orleans its first utility-scale system with a battery to back it up. (Next City)
CLIMATE: The West Virginia House moves to delay new science educational standards amid its doubts about global warming. (Associated Press)
SUSTAINABILITY:
• Arkansas State University signs a $15 million contract to improve campus sustainability. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)
• Virginia Tech tries to educate students renting apartments to get smart about the energy and water they use. (Collegiate Times)
POLLUTION:
• Discharges from Lake Okeechobee of toxic water from utilities and other businesses into rivers are finding their way to coastal beaches. (Climate Progress)
• Dominion Virginia Power is allowed to release toxic chemicals at triple the levels considered harmful to fish in the James River. (WWBT)
• Kentucky moves to prevent further illegal dumping of radioactive materials from other states. (Louisville Courier-Journal)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Experts say the Nissan Leaf is easier to hack than one might think. (Palm Beach Post)
COAL:
• Federal inspectors issue 138 safety citations at mines in 12 states, including Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia. (Associated Press)
• A former Kentucky congressman stresses the need to develop clean energy industries. (WFPL Public Radio)
UTILITIES:
• The North Carolina Utilities Commission sets a July 18 hearing on Duke Energy’s proposed acquisition of Piedmont Natural Gas. (Charlotte Business Journal)
NUCLEAR: Workers at a Georgia reactor look to attract a new crop of female engineers. (The Augusta Chronicle)
OIL & GAS:
• A bill in West Virginia to force property owners to sell drilling rights stalls. (West Virginia Public Broadcasting)
• The West Virginia House approves tax cuts for the coal and natural gas industries. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)
PIPELINES:
• A West Virginia Senate committee approves a bill that would give pipeline surveyors automatic access to private properties. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)
• A new study paid for by its developer finds the Palmetto Pipeline would be a magnet for new business in the Southeast. (WJCT Public Radio)
2010 BP OIL SPILL: A former BP rig supervisor is found not guilty of a misdemeanor pollution charge. (Associated Press)
COMMENTARY:
• An editorial spotlights several legislative bills important to coal mining in Kentucky. (Lexington Herald-Leader)
• A community activist in Florida underscores the need for local and state solar incentives. (Tallahassee Democrat)
• An activist in Georgia shares why she fights for environmental justice. (Southern Alliance for Clean Energy)