ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Tesla picks a site near Austin, Texas, to build its largest electric car and truck assembly plant, expected to employ at least 5,000 workers. (Associated Press)
OIL & GAS:
• A major natural gas project slated to be built in a mostly Black community in eastern Virginia is put on hold by state regulators due to funding and environmental justice concerns. (E&E News)
• A watchdog group sues Texas oil and gas regulators over emergency orders that waived fees and relaxed regulations for crude oil storage. (Houston Chronicle)
• Some Louisiana lawmakers argue that a federal bill to fund public lands with oil and gas royalties would make coastal restoration money more difficult to obtain. (WVUE)
• Some oil and gas industry analysts say there will be more job cuts to come during the coronavirus pandemic. (KTRK)
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NUCLEAR: A former executive for South Carolina utility SCANA pleads guilty in federal court to defrauding customers and lying about nuclear plant construction progress. (Post and Courier)
EFFICIENCY: The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy calls on Florida utility regulators to gather public input before rewriting the state’s energy efficiency rules. (WJCT)
SOLAR: Duke Energy’s second solar project in Texas begins operations, meaning the utility now has 500 MW of solar in the state. (Charlotte Business Journal, subscription)
COAL:
• The bankruptcy of Rhino Resources puts at risk about 550 jobs at underground and surface coal mines in Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia and Utah. (WVPB)
• Virginia could be on the hook for millions of dollars in mine cleanup costs if more bankruptcies destabilize its bond pool system — a problem the state has known about for decades. (Virginia Mercury)
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COAL ASH: With public meetings about TVA’s coal ash at its Bull Run plant moved online, Tennessee residents continue to raise concerns about the utility’s plan to clean up the site. (WVLT)
PIPELINES: Texas regulators are inspecting the 400-mile Permian Highway Pipeline, which has had many safety concerns and complaints during construction. (World Oil)