WIND:
• A Department of Energy report says taller turbines can make wind energy viable in all 50 states, including the Southeast. (The New York Times)
• The American Bird Conservancy asserts too many wind turbines are being sited in sensitive nesting areas and flight paths. (Associated Press)
SOLAR:
• Solar advocates in Louisiana are scrambling to defend the state’s solar incentives. (EnergyWire)
• The Evangelical Environmental Network presses its case in Florida for the proposed solar choice amendment to the state’s Constitution. (WLRN Public Radio)
PIPELINES: An appeal is likely after Georgia denies Kinder Morgan’s application for the proposed Palmetto Pipeline route through the state. (Savannah Morning News)
OFFSHORE DRILLING:
• Three cities and two environmental groups join others in appealing South Carolina’s approval for seismic testing to find oil offshore. (The State)
• A Florida county passes resolutions calling for a state moratorium on fracking and offshore drilling. (WNDB Radio, Daytona Beach)
CLIMATE:
• A new study finds Sun Belt population growth and the warming climate could quadruple exposure to extreme heat. (The New York Times)
• Seven U.S. senators complain FEMA is tying up disaster preparedness with climate red tape. (WCQS – Western North Carolina Public Radio)
• A Democratic candidate for governor in Kentucky says it can comply with the Clean Power Plan’s proposed emission reductions. (E&E Daily)
NORTH CAROLINA: A Senate panel joins the House in a vote to cap the state’s renewable energy and energy efficiency mandate. (WCQS Western North Carolina Public Radio)
UTILITIES:
• Duke Energy outlined a $1 billion plan to replace an Asheville coal plant with natural gas and solar power. (The Charlotte Observer)
• OSHA and Duke Energy Florida agree on a settlement stemming from the death of an employee in 2014. (Ocala StarBanner)
WASTE-TO-ENERGY: One of two garbage-to-energy plants in Broward County, Florida will shut down. (Sun Sentinel)
COAL: Virginia and Tennessee Congressmen rip the proposed Clean Power Plan’s impact on coal-fired power plants. (The Kingsport Times-News)
COMMENTARY:
• If the power grid goes down, blame the war on solar. (Power for the People VA blog)
• Editorial: Don’t ignore the possibility of sea-level rise. (The Tampa Tribune)