UTILITIES: Utilities in states including Georgia, West Virginia and South Carolina have collected billions of dollars from ratepayers for coal or nuclear projects that never came to fruition. (The Intercept)
ALSO:
• President Donald Trump claims he provided “a major victory for the workers” of the TVA last week by firing board members. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)
• A legal battle is brewing over Appalachian Power’s proposed 6.5% rate increase, with Virginia’s attorney general calling the request “unconscionable.” (Roanoke Times)
***SPONSORED LINK: The ESA Annual Energy Storage Conference & Expo (#ESACon20) is a true 360-degree conference experience – gone digital. Featuring one-on-one conversations and interactions, group discussion, demos of real projects and more. Use discount code ENN2020VTL for 5% off. ***
COAL: Appalachian coal miners suffering from black lung disease continue their fight to get Congress to provide medical benefits and hold companies accountable. (Politico)
COAL ASH: TVA says it is ready to move forward with its plan to move coal ash from a Tennessee coal plant into a lined dry landfill, pending state approval. (Associated Press)
SOLAR:
• Asheville, North Carolina, is experiencing a public solar boom as panels go up on schools and government buildings. (Asheville Citizen-Times)
• Florida Power & Light says construction of five new solar projects in the northeast part of the state is creating hundreds of jobs. (WJXT)
• Two central Florida solar projects, part of a partnership between Florida Municipal Power Agency and 16 public utilities, are now operational. (Osceola News-Gazette)
• Dominion Energy files a proposal with South Carolina regulators for a tariff on storage-plus-renewables generation facilities to better integrate intermittent solar. (Utility Dive)
• North Carolina regulators plan hearings in November for a long-promised Duke Energy solar project to help replace a coal-fired power plant. (Charlotte Business Journal, subscription)
***SPONSORED LINK: Register today for emPOWER20 August 26-28, emPOWER is a virtual experience with 30 sessions and 40+ hours of content designed to foster a new kind of energy leadership. Join experts across the clean energy industry in finance, policy, and technology.***
OIL & GAS:
• Texas oil and gas regulators seek public comment on changes to flaring rules. (Midland Reporter-Telegram)
• Energy companies are operating 247 oil and gas rigs nationally, a record low for the industry. (Houston Chronicle)
COMMENTARY:
• President Trump promised to bring back coal jobs but hasn’t because it wasn’t a promise he could keep anyway, an editorial board says. (Roanoke Times)
• An activist writes that the Mountain Valley Pipeline is a boondoggle hurting West Virginia and Virginia. (Virginia Mercury)