PIPELINES: Some Texas landowners say they’re concerned about the spread of COVID-19 as pipeline workers continue to build Kinder Morgan’s Permian Highway Pipeline on their properties during the pandemic. (Nexus Media)
GRID: Texas heads into summer with a larger power reserve than last year, but about 2% of expected capacity remains under construction, compared with less than 1% during the previous two summers. (Houston Chronicle)
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SOLAR:
• Two Virginia environmental groups urge the Fredericksburg school board to add solar panels to schools. (Free Lance-Star)
• A Texas steel producer will buy power from a soon-to-be constructed 80 MW solar project in the state. (Renewables Now)
HYDRO: Researchers complete tests of three ocean current energy technologies off Florida’s coast, and may tap the Gulf Stream next year. (Recharge)
WIND:
• The wind turbine foundations for Dominion Energy’s wind farm off the coast of Virginia are now ready, developers say. (Renewables Now)
• Construction is complete on the 180 MW “Heart of Texas” wind farm. (Energy and Environment Leader)
OIL & GAS:
• Some oil and gas industry producers in Texas get some temporary relief as states start to reopen their economies during the pandemic. (Texas Standard)
• The Louisiana Oil and Gas Association is hosting a webinar for displaced oil and gas industry workers tomorrow morning. (The Advocate)
• An Australian company backed out of buying a LNG project in Louisiana in late May before another company stepped in to buy it for $2 million. (The Advocate)
COAL: Northern Appalachian coal deliveries to power plants in the first quarter of 2020 fell 20% from the end of last year. (S&P Global)
TRANSMISSION: Federal appeals court judges question whether they can overturn a 2019 Texas law giving utilities priority in constructing electric transmission lines. (E&E News, subscription)
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UTILITIES: North Carolina regulators will combine hearings for two Duke Energy rate hike cases and propose a procedure for it to be held starting in late July. (Charlotte Business Journal)
POLITICS: Longtime U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess of Lewisville, Texas, is vying to be the top Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. (Texas Tribune)