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

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.