GRID: Texas could be a model for grid flexibility and energy deregulation for the U.K. and other countries, experts say, as they expand renewables and decarbonize their energy systems. (Greentech Media)
PIPELINES:
• Mountain Valley Pipeline developers say construction is 92% complete and will be done by 2021. (news release)
• A Virginia town will hold a public hearing in July on a request for a temporary RV park to house Atlantic Coast Pipeline workers. (The News & Advance)
***SPONSORED LINK: Join Southern Alliance for Clean Energy & Electrify the South for a free virtual Electric Vehicle test drive to see why so many people are going electric. Learn more & register here: https://www.electrifythesouth.org/events.***
OIL & GAS:
• Louisiana’s governor is expected to sign a bill that would increase penalties for protests on oil and gas sites, worrying Black residents who are fighting to stop construction of petrochemical plants. (Desmog)
• The oil and gas bust from the pandemic is affecting the pipeline and storage tank businesses, according to a new report from Moody’s. (Houston Chronicle)
• Two Texas oil suppliers are expected to start laying off up to 675 workers next week. (Bloomberg)
COAL ASH: A North Carolina judge rules that insurers failed to prove that Duke Energy intentionally and knowingly caused millions of dollars worth of environmental damage at a coal ash pond. (Charlotte Business Journal, subscription)
SOLAR: A West Virginia solar company is unionizing its solar installers and electricians. (Shepherdstown Chronicle)
***SPONSORED LINK: Do you know someone who works hard to facilitate the transition to a clean energy economy? Nominate yourself or someone you know for Energy News Networks’ 40 Under 40 today.***
UTILITIES: Florida regulators approve a plan for Tampa Electric Company to streamline its storm protection cost recovery and reduce base rates. (Daily Energy Insider)
COMMENTARY:
• A pastor and a professor urge Roanoke Gas to exit its contract with the Mountain Valley Pipeline. (Roanoke Times)
• A U.S. Senator from Louisiana says the state is getting shortchanged and Congress needs to remove a cap on offshore oil and gas revenues. (The Advocate)