CAP-AND-TRADE: The Virginia legislature gives final approval to a measure that would make the state a full participant in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a cap-and-trade program. (Associated Press)
ALSO: A Virginia lawmaker pulls a bill that would have given carbon allowances to two unbuilt natural gas plants under a carbon cap-and-trade program. (Virginia Mercury)
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POLICY: Senators Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia, and Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska, unveil an energy bill that ensures their states can continue drilling while promoting renewables. (Grist)
NUCLEAR: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission sues South Carolina utility SCANA and two of its top executives, alleging they “repeatedly deceived” investors and regulators by hiding problems with a nuclear project. (Post and Courier)
SOLAR:
• A bill that would raise the net metering cap in Virginia to expand distributed solar is working its way through the legislature. (WVTF)
• A Kentucky county considers building a $200 million solar farm by 2023, which would generate more than 200 MW of electricity. (WKMS)
• Officials investigate a solar company after dozens of Tampa, Florida, residents claim it took thousands of dollars and never installed solar panels. (WFLA)
RENEWABLES: Advocacy groups host an energy justice summit in western North Carolina to discuss expenses that prevent low-income people from using renewables. (Watauga Democrat)
WIND: Some experts say the wind energy boom in Texas could fuel a Bitcoin mining rush. (MIT Technology Review)
PIPELINES: An energy company reaches an agreement to expand a pipeline in Virginia after months of disputes with a conservation group over a wetland mitigation project. (Fauquier Times)
OIL & GAS: New oil and gas production in Benton, Louisiana, raises questions about water supply as nearby ponds for agriculture and recreation are being drained for fracking. (KTBS)
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COAL ASH: North Carolina residents voice concerns about Duke Energy’s plans for coal ash excavation at the Marshall Steam Station during a hearing with environmental regulators. (Statesville Record & Landmark)
COMMENTARY:
• Florida should approve Florida Power & Light’s new solar program, even if its approach is new for the state, writes the director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. (Tampa Bay Times)
• South Carolina needs more solar energy, and Dominion Energy is preventing growth by refusing to greenlight a project at a tire manufacturer’s plant, an editorial board says. (Post and Courier)