WIND: One of the Republican lawmakers who recently called on the Trump administration to shut down a North Carolina wind farm appears to have softened his stance after touring the facility. (Southeast Energy News)
UTILITIES: Virginia lawmakers kill a bill that would have prohibited campaign contributions from utilities. (Capital News Service)
COAL ASH:
• Duke Energy is telling homeowners near coal ash sites they must waive any right to future legal claims if they accept assistance for their water supplies. (Associated Press)
• A decision in the Tennessee Valley Authority coal ash trial may not come for several months. (Associated Press)
• Three years after the Dan River spill, neighbors still worry about the potential impacts of contamination. (WNCN)
• Virginia lawmakers advance a bill that would require more information on coal ash enclosures. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
COAL:
• Final Senate action to repeal the federal stream protection rule is expected today, followed by President Trump’s signature. (New York Times)
• Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell says there is now “a friend of coal in the White House.” (McClatchy)
• Virginia coal industry backers celebrate the decision. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
• A new study says global demand for coal will continue to fall after 2020. (The Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register)
• Three lawsuits remain active against the Kemper “clean coal” plant in Mississippi. (Mississippi Watchdog)
EPA: A Florida environmental group pressures Sen. Bill Nelson to oppose Scott Pruitt’s nomination to lead the EPA. (SaintPetersBlog)
PIPELINES: Federal regulators approve a 55-mile natural gas pipeline in South Carolina, opponents vow to keep fighting the project. (WSPA, Greenville Online)
NATURAL GAS: Duke Energy plans a new 400 MW natural gas unit at a North Carolina power plant. (Charlotte Observer)
NUCLEAR: High costs continue to hold back nuclear development in the U.S. (Bloomberg)
COMMENTARY:
• Why Republicans targeted the stream protection rule. (Vox)
• “Corporations are increasingly taking an active role” in promoting clean energy policies. (Southern Alliance for Clean Energy)