WIND: President Trump’s infrastructure spending plan includes a boost to the Plains and Eastern transmission project to move wind power from Oklahoma to load centers in Tennessee. (Utility Dive/McClatchy)

POLICY:
• The leader of President Trump’s EPA transition team calls for slashing staffing by two-thirds to about 5,000. (Greenwire)
• As the communications blackout order from the Trump administration spreads, employees at the Department of Energy say they’ve been instructed not to communicate about their work via social media. (ThinkProgress)
• Reports on climate change disappear from the State Department web site. (Washington Post)

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NUCLEAR:
• The new private owner of the licensed but incomplete Bellefonte nuclear plant in Alabama claims it could have advanced reactors operating by 2028 with government incentives and a $13 billion investment. (NextBigFuture.com)
• President Trump appoints Kristine Svinicki to chair the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, a post she held briefly under President George W. Bush. (Platts)

COAL: Reduced shipments put Appalachia at risk of losing valuable rail lines. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)

SOLAR:
• The U.S. Navy and Air Force showcase the start of construction on two solar systems in north Florida. (Gulf Breeze News)
•After a reverse stock split, a solar installer in Louisville moves its headquarters to Denver in search of more opportunity and qualified employees. (Denver Business Journal)
At least one installer in Virginia sees steady growth in the demand for technicians and support personnel. (WHSV)

CLEAN POWER PLAN: President Trump’s expected push-back against the Clean Power Plan itself could be subject to court challenges, leaving both in legal limbo. (New York Times)

NORTH CAROLINA: Gov. Roy Cooper’s pick to lead the state’s environmental agency faces high expectations but a potentially rocky path to confirmation. (Charlotte Observer)

SUSTAINABILITY: The University of Georgia shares metrics demonstrating its progress towards cleaner energy and transportation. (The Red & Black)

PIPELINES: Opposition to the Atlantic Coast Pipeline in Virginia gains momentum as local groups join the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League. (Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald)

COMMENTARY:
• Why the U.S. Navy posted an endorsement of clean energy on its Facebook page on inauguration day. (Clean Technica)
• Keeping much of the Atlantic and Arctic waters off limits to offshore drilling puts the U.S. on the right track to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius by 20140. (Coastal Review Online)

Jim Pierobon, a policy, marketing and social media strategist, was a founding contributor to Southeast Energy News. He passed away after a long battle with pancreatic cancer in 2018.