WIND:
• The Interior Dept. sets deadlines in October for lease applications and public comments for wind energy systems off North Carolina’s Outer Banks. (Charlotte Observer)
• An Amazon wind project escalates the debate over aesthetic impacts in eastern North Carolina. (Raleigh News & Observer)
COAL ASH:
• Some North Carolina well owners feel vindicated by the resignation of the state’s epidemiologist. (WCQS Public Radio)
• The use of coal ash for paving roads draws criticism of environmental activists in Georgia. (Brunswick News)
PIPELINES:
• Construction of the 516-mile Sabal Trail natural gas pipeline from Alabama through Georgia into Florida could begin by Wednesday. (Associated Press)
• Federal regulators issue a timeline for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline scheduling its final environmental impact statement for June 30, 2017 and allowing for construction to begin by September 2017. (Natural Gas Intelligence, The News Virginian)
• A federal court finds “significant flaws” in ExxonMobil’s plan to comply with pipeline safety directives tied to a 2013 accident in Arkansas. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)
• A Native American tribe is among the organizations backing the proposed route for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline through North Carolina. (The Progressive Pulse)
• Opponents decry the refusal of federal regulators to assess the collective environmental impact of proposed pipelines in Virginia. (Public News Service)
NATURAL GAS: A consortium plans three gas-fired power plants in West Virginia. (The Exponent Telegram)
COAL: Members of the United Mine Workers of America approve a new five-year contract for workers in West Virginia and Ohio including those at Murray Energy. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)
2010 BP OIL SPILL: A showdown looms in Alabama over how to spend its settlement money. (Alabama Media Group)
UTILITIES: Duke Energy closes on its $3.75 billion bond sale to pay for its acquisition of Piedmont Natural Gas. (Charlotte Observer)
CLIMATE: Palm Beach County, Florida and West Palm Beach set Oct. 5-6 for their annual Regional Climate Leadership Summit. (Palm Beach Post)
COMMENTARY:
• A utility commissioner in Alabama voted against net metering solar power yet he wants $5 million to put a solar system on his family’s land. (Electrek)
• Don’t buy false attacks on North Carolina’s clean energy law. (Charlotte Observer)
• Ratepayers are paying for the toxic legacy of coal ash with their money and their health. (Climate Progress)
• The TVA needs to ensure its most vulnerable ratepayers can take advantage of cost-saving programs. (Memphis Flyer)