SOLAR:
• Scaling back North Carolina’s renewable energy policies could put its solar market at risk, warns a lead industry group. (PV Tech)
• Several large investment firms plan to prioritize solar power in the next five years, according to a survey. (ClimateProgress)
• A bulk-purchasing cooperative in Charlottesville, Virginia re-opens to respond to strong demand for rooftop solar. (The Daily Progress)
TRUCK FUEL EFFICIENCY:
• EPA’s proposed higher mileage standards for heavy-duty trucks would boost the rating about one-third, up from 6 miles-per-gallon. (The New York Times)
• A projected two-year payback on EPA’s proposed truck mileage standards balanced against higher price tags frame reactions by stakeholders. (Greenwire)
CLIMATE:
• How two Florida agencies approach climate change very differently. (Miami Herald)
• A Dutch water expert prods Miami to develop a comprehensive approach with short-term interventions on climate resiliency and safety. (Toronto Star)
• The mayor of Blacksburg, Virginia shares top honors for adapting his city to climate change. (Collegiate Times)
PIPELINES: Scrutiny of the Mountain Valley Pipeline through West Virginia and Virginia heightens with growing attention on compressor stations. (The Roanoke Times)
COAL:
• How Don Blankenship became the first coal chief in Appalachia to face criminal charges that could put him in prison. (The New York Times)
• Murray Energy is calling 262 hourly employees back to work at a mine in the northern West Virginia panhandle. (Pittsburgh Business Times)
• Workers this week are removing the last vestiges of a coal burning boiler at the University of Georgia’s main campus. (Athens Banner-Herald)
FRACKING: A study links a dramatic increase in earthquakes in the eastern and central U.S. to fluid injection wells used in oil and gas development. (Science Times)
WIND: Inconsistent government policies are limiting the potential for wind energy. (The News Virginian)
NUCLEAR: A draft bill in the U.S. House would move waste from nuclear power plants throughout the Southeast and elsewhere to a temporary site. (E&E Daily)
R&D: Researchers peer 20 years into the future for viable, cleaner energy technologies. (The News Virginian)
EFFICIENCY:
• A study finds more than 17,000 companies across Tennessee employ nearly 325,000 workers in “advanced energy.” (Murfreesboro Daily News Journal)
• Real-time pricing motivates the University of Georgia to prod students and staffers to conserve electricity. (Athens Banner-Herald)
UTILITIES:
• Duke Energy’s lower fuel costs clear the way for electricity rate reductions for its North Carolina customers. (Charlotte Business Journal)
• AARP is asking the Florida Supreme Court to stop Florida Power & Light from investing in speculative natural gas production in Oklahoma. (Saint Peters Blog)
BP OIL SPILL: As claims centers close from the 2010 Gulf Coast spill, attention shifts to evaluating which claims have merit. (New Orleans Public Radio)
COMMENTARY:
• Florida’s governor and legislature are not good friends of the environment – editorial. (Bradenton Herald)
• Beware of Hillary Clinton’s plans to shift Obama’s “war on coal” to natural gas and oil – editorial. (Wheeling News-Register)
• The free market may need a nudge from government policies to achieve prudent gains in energy efficiency and environmental protection. (Tampa Bay Times)
• Understanding the Pope’s message: we shouldn’t debate what we all can do to preserve God’s creation – column. (Miami Herald)