UTILITIES: Virginia’s Supreme Court last week rejected Walmart’s request to aggregate its stores’ electricity loads in order to qualify for a retail choice program that would allow it to shop for alternative suppliers. (Utility Dive)

ALSO:
• Florida Power & Light quietly reduces its solar commitment and adds to its gas capacity through its merger with Gulf Power. (Energy and Policy Institute)
• A group begins airing TV commercials asking President Trump to stop outsourcing Tennessee Valley Authority IT jobs. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)
• Dominion Energy intends to raise rates in South Carolina for the first time since acquiring SCE&G amid a nuclear construction boondoggle. (The State)

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SOLAR:
• A University of Texas survey is among the only independent studies of solar’s impact on property values, which appears to be slight. (Energy News Network)
• A solar developer breaks ground on a project that’s expected to supply roughly 90% of an Arkansas school system’s electricity. (Arkansas Business)
• Duke Energy Florida proposes a shared solar program that appears informed by criticism of Florida Power & Light’s program. (Greentech Media, subscription)

WIND: Officials see Dominion Energy’s two-turbine Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind pilot project as a potential catalyst for the industry in the U.S. (Riviera)

OIL & GAS:
• A Louisiana company moves ahead with oil and gas exploration in the Gulf of Mexico despite the recent market downturn. (The Advocate)
• Advocates say disinvestment in areas around Louisiana refineries has led to concentrated poverty. (E&E News)

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POLITICS: Joe Biden is expected to call for a 100% clean electricity standard by 2035 and investing $2 trillion over four years on clean energy. (Bloomberg)

COMMENTARY:
• A newly completed solar farm is Tallahassee, Florida’s latest giant step to address climate change, a sustainability advocate writes. (Tallahassee Democrat)
• Heatwaves and COVID-19 are increasing household electric bills, especially in Southern states, an analysis shows. (Union of Concerned Scientists)
• With the Atlantic Coast Pipeline canceled, South Carolina lawmakers should recognize the unprecedented opportunity to expand solar and renewables, an editorial board says. (Post and Courier)

Dan has two decades' experience working in print, digital and broadcast media. Prior to joining the Energy News Network as managing editor in December 2017, he oversaw watchdog reporting at the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, part of the USA Today Network, and before that spent several years as a freelance journalist covering energy, business and technology. Dan is a former Midwest Energy News journalism fellow and a member of Investigative Reporters and Editors. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and mass communications from University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.