PIPELINES:
• Opponents set multi-state protest for Tuesday against the Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley pipelines. (Charlottesville Daily Progress)
• A song written and performed by a Middleburg, Virginia couple has become a call-to-arms against Dominion Resources and the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline. (The Washington Post)
NUCLEAR: The TVA has formally requested a license to begin operating its nearly completed Watts Bar 2 reactor. (Knoxville News Sentinel)
SOLAR: A draft environmental assessment of a proposed power purchase agreement for an 80-megawatt solar farm near Florence, Alabama proposed by the TVA is open for public comment. (Alabama Media Group)
WAVE ENERGY: Four engineers from Virginia Tech beat 72 other teams to win a place in the federal government’s Wave Energy competition. (Virginia Pubic Radio)
CLEAN POWER PLAN:
• The legal attack on the plan could resemble tactics used by immigration opponents alleging overreach by the President. (Miami Herald)
• Opponents’ hopes may hinge on the consolidation of the lawsuit filed last week with an earlier lawsuit in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. (Greenwire)
• The two years added in the final plan to reach emissions targets could smooth the transition to higher electric rates needed to support capital investments, analysts say. (ClimateWire)
• The final plan reflects a more regional approach and how power grids operate across state lines. (InsideClimate News)
OFFSHORE DRILLING: The number and diversity of groups opposed to drilling off the southern Atlantic coast is growing. (The Institute for Southern Studies blog)
TENNESSEE: As federal funding dries up, the Volunteer State is debating a possible increase in its gasoline tax. (The Hill)
CAROLINAS: Duke Energy Progress will announce a planned route for a 40-plus mile high-voltage line from Campobello South Carolina to Asheville, North Carolina in October. (Charlotte Business Journal)
LOUISIANA: State budget projections do not account for the current oil price decline. (New Orleans Times-Picayune)
OIL TRADING: Hoping to feed Gulf Coast refineries with heavier-grade crude, the Obama administration approved limited crude oil trading with Mexico on Friday. (Baton Rouge Advocate)
EMISSIONS: The EPA has announced tighter standards for the nation’s garbage landfills to reduce emissions of methane and other harmful air pollutants. (Associated Press)
COAL ASH: A coalition of community groups in North Carolina is stepping up its fight to block the disposal of Duke Energy’s coal ash in clay mines. (Greensboro News & Record)
LIFE BEYOND COAL: An Arkansas school district plots how to fund its operations now that a nearby coal-fired power plant — a major local taxpayer — is set to shut down. (Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)
COMMENTARY:
• Appalachian Power’s plan to build solar and wind energy systems is a “watershed” moment for the region. (The Roanoke Times)
• Florida utilities’ influence on nuclear and solar power issues overrides ratepayer interests. (Tampa Bay Times)
• The Clean Power Plan can mean smarter energy decisions for Virginia. (The Roanoke Times)