CLIMATE:
• Throughout the Southeast U.S., reactions vary widely to the Pope’s encyclical. (The Times-Picayune, Miami Herald)
• A Catholic bishop in West Virginia sees a framework for climate action emerging based on the Pope’s encyclical. (The Charleston Gazette)
• Tennessee Interfaith Power and Light is struggling to link faith with climate advocacy. (The Nashville Ledger)
ENERGY STORAGE:
• A Charlotte company completes deal to supply power storage systems to utility grids. (Charlotte Business Journal)
• A small North Carolina startup is working with light bulb maker Cree to integrate battery storage on the power grid. (Triangle Business Journal)
UTILITIES:
• The Public Service Commission clears Florida Power & Light’s investment in natural gas fracking in Oklahoma. (Palm Beach Post)
• Utilities and the White House assess how best to recover quickly from natural disasters and cyber or physical attacks. (EnergyWire)
COAL ASH: Residents of Lee and Chatham counties in North Carolina are urged to demand tougher coal ash disposal rules. (The Fayetteville Observer)
PIPELINES: The Allegheny-Blue Ridge Alliance formally opposes the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. (The Charleston Gazette)
COAL:
• West Virginia signs coal, other agreements with Shanxi Province in China. (The Charleston Gazette)
• Amid rising coal layoffs, more women are becoming the main household breadwinners throughout Appalachia. (West Virginia Public Radio)
OIL & GAS:
• The battle over new oil train rules pits safety vs. cost. (West Virginia Public Radio)
• A refinery in Chalmette, Louisiana owned by Exxon and a Venezuelan partner is to be sold to a New Jersey energy company. (The Times-Picayune)
HYDRO: Elementary school students get a up-close tour of the Martin Dam in Alabama. (Alexandria City Outlook)
COMMENTARY:
• Let’s hope the Pope’s encyclical stirs action on climate change – column. (Columbia Daily Herald, Tennessee)
• The Pope’s encyclical could be a tipping point on climate action – opinion. (The Virginian Pilot)