WIND: A North Carolina Republican who inserted a wind farm moratorium into a budget bill says the measure is needed to protect military communities. (Southeast Energy News)
NUCLEAR: Westinghouse said in a letter Thursday it will not object to making public the details of its Summer nuclear project contract. (Charlotte Business Journal)
UTILITIES: Duke Energy posted shareholders’ questions and answers online Wednesday from its online-only shareholder meeting. (Charlotte Business Journal)
NATURAL GAS:
• Following West Virginian lawmakers’ call to build a natural gas storage hub in Appalachia, a study was released about its potential economic benefits. (Natural Gas Intelligence)
• Endangered bats pose problems for a natural gas compressor project in a rural Tennessee county. (Nashville Scene)
DRILLING: A South Carolina congressman co-led a bipartisan letter from more than 100 lawmakers asking the Interior Secretary to uphold guidelines that temporarily bar offshore drilling off the coasts. (Southern Alliance for Clean Energy)
POLITICS: A Virginia state senator who has rejected contributions from Dominion Energy seeks to add two seats to the state’s regulatory body. (Daily Press)
RENEWABLE ENERGY: Advocates say Dominion Energy’s progress on clean energy doesn’t match Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s urgency in cutting carbon emissions. (WVTF)
COAL: Many residents in one eastern Kentucky county have been drinking bottled water for years, fearing contamination from nearby coal mines. (Christian Science Monitor)
DRILLING: Environmental groups are questioning a referendum concerning oil drilling off South Carolina’s coast. (South Strand News)
COMMENTARY:
• A newspaper editorial says a planned solar farm near Robins Air Force Base in Georgia is “a win-win on several different levels.” (The Telegraph)
• A columnist says troubles industry-wide with nuclear plants are helping natural gas become more competitive. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)