COAL: Oklahoma sues the U.S. Interior Department over its plans to strip the state of its jurisdiction to regulate surface coal mining within the Muscogee Nation reservation after a 2020 U.S. Supreme Court decision. (Associated Press)
ALSO:
• Researchers use a federal grant to determine if minerals for making solar panels, wind turbines and other projects can be extracted from the waste byproducts of Appalachian coal mining. (Daily Yonder)
• West Virginia will unveil a permanent roadside marker that pays homage to the seven miners who died in the 1966 New River Company Siltix Mine explosion. (Beckley Register-Herald)
OIL & GAS:
• A new report shows the 22 counties in West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania that produce 90% of Appalachian natural gas trailed the nation in economic prosperity between 2008 and 2019, with very little industry revenue actually making it back into local economies. (news release)
• A pair of Permian Basin midstream oil and gas companies partially merge amid ongoing uncertainty over the price of oil and the COVID-19 delta variant. (Carlsbad Current Argus)
PIPELINES: The company behind the now-canceled Byhalia Connection pipeline asks regulators to drop its state and federal permits. (MLK50)
SOLAR:
• Pine Gate Renewables completes a 108 MW solar project in North Carolina that will sell power to Duke Energy. (PV Magazine)
• Enel Green Power takes over construction of a 90 MW West Virginia solar farm, with plans to build more, as part of a 3.2 GW portfolio. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Texas electric vehicle advocates won small gains in the legislative session, but saw an effort to establish a statewide charging network fail. (Texas Climate News)
MINING: North Carolina residents protest a proposed open-pit lithium mine. (WCNC)
UTILITIES:
• A hedge fund spars with Duke Energy over the utility’s leadership and whether it can “maximize value” for investors. (Florida Politics)
• Oklahoma electric cooperatives see a surge in power demand from marijuana growers. (KJRH)
POLITICS: Senate swing voter and energy committee chair Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who could take a lead role in developing a clean energy standard, had more money invested in fossil fuels than any other senator as of late 2019. (E&E News; Guardian)
WIND: A Texas economic development board approves incentives for a wrench manufacturer that services wind turbines. (KFDA)
GRID: A FirstEnergy Corp. subsidiary uses two helicopters with aerial saws to maintain eight difficult-to-access transmission line corridors in West Virginia. (WV News)
COMMENTARY:
• The Texas grid’s reliability problems represent not just an infrastructure challenge but show the shortcomings of state politicians, writes an energy journalist. (Texas Monthly)
• An active member of the Virginia United Methodists calls for a “bold investment in clean energy infrastructure” to advance environmental justice and public health and address the climate crisis. (Virginia Mercury)
• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has a chance to respect the rights and interests of the Rappahannock and Upper Mattaponi tribes by closely considering the effects of a massive Dominion Energy transmission line, writes a river conservationist. (Washington Post)