SOLAR: Thousands of Louisiana homeowners did not receive a tax credit from the state for solar panel installations, leaving them with bills as much as $12,500 each. (The Greater Baton Rouge Business Report)

ALSO:
• A bill in South Carolina offers new tax exemptions for unused land or farmland to be developed as solar farms. (Greenville Journal)
• A North Carolina solar developer is proposing a 20 MW array on Virginia farmland. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
• Rather than replace an underwater cable, the Coast Guard will convert a North Carolina lighthouse to LEDs powered by solar. (Raleigh News & Observer)

NUCLEAR: The head of the Georgia Public Service Commission says it “is without question” that Toshiba will complete the Vogtle nuclear project. (WSAV)

COAL ASH:
• Residents near some of Duke Energy’s coal ash ponds in North Carolina met to consider whether they want the company to provide them with a water line connection or filtration system, as mandated by state law. (Salisbury Post)
• A Georgia bill aims to “increase responsible stewardship” of coal ash. (Golden Isles News)

OIL AND GAS: West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice backs legislation that allows horizontal drilling without landowners’ consent, saying “I’m going to make a lot of people mad, probably, at me, but I cannot understand why in the world we can’t get that through.” (Metro News)

PIPELINES:
• Federal officials prohibited journalists from interviewing citizens or recording comments at a public pipeline hearing in North Carolina. (NC Policy Watch)
• Protesters are expected at a Virginia pipeline hearing today. (Virginian-Pilot)

CLIMATE: A new nonprofit seeks to push for action on sea level rise in Virginia. (Hampton Roads Business Journal)

HYDRO: The Southeast National Renewable Energy Center at Florida Atlantic University will begin offshore testing in its efforts to convert the Gulf Stream into a source of electric power. (WFSU)

GRID: Virginia lawmakers advance a bill that would allow utilities to bypass local zoning for some transmission projects. (Roanoke Times)

ELECTRIC CARS: A Kentucky group aims to expand electric vehicle adoption. (LEO Weekly)

EFFICIENCY: An Arkansas county considers efficiency upgrades to public buildings expected to save $9 million over the next 15 years. (Arkansas Online)

COMMENTARY:
• An industry group says “there has been a real lack of science-driven information” in Florida’s fracking debate. (Naples Daily News)
• Citizens and advocates push Georgia legislators to support coal ash reforms. (Southern Alliance for Clean Energy)
• A Tennessee pastor pushes the TVA to clean up its coal ash ponds. (The Tennessean)
• While nuclear power continues to struggle, solar is booming. (Union of Concerned Scientists)

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Ken Paulman

Ken is the director of the Energy News Network at Fresh Energy and is a founding editor of both Midwest Energy News and Southeast Energy News. Prior to joining Fresh Energy, he was the managing editor for online news at Minnesota Public Radio. He started his journalism career in 2002 as a copy editor for the Duluth News Tribune before spending five years at the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, where he worked as a copy editor, online producer, features editor and night city editor. A Nebraska native, Ken has a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master's degree from the University of Oregon. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors.