PIPELINES: The Mountain Valley Pipeline seeks a new three-judge panel after the previous slate largely sided with environmentalists who challenged government approvals for it and the now-canceled Atlantic Coast Pipeline. (Roanoke Times)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: While some Georgia residents push back against Rivian’s plans to build a factory, an Illinois community has welcomed the electric vehicle maker with open arms. (Energy News Network)
Sponsored Link
“My grandma had purple hair and big SUVs. I’m trying to convert her to electric vehicles. Maybe a purple one?” Read more and connect in person with Ashley Horvat, Schneider Electric’s VP of eMobility, at EPRI’s Electrification 2022, June 28-30.
UTILITIES: Memphis, Tennessee, considers leaving the Tennessee Valley Authority for grid operator MISO or one of more than 20 firms that have bid on its electricity supply. (Commercial Appeal)
WIND: North Carolina seeks public input on a renewable company’s proposal to build an onshore 189 MW wind farm with up to 45 turbines. (Coastal Review)
COAL:
• Environmentalists and elected officials call for San Antonio, Texas’ municipal utility to accelerate plans to close its final coal plant by 2030, but it’s unclear whether the utility is willing or able to move faster. (San Antonio Report)
• The head of West Virginia’s coal association says the state should become part-owner of a coal-fired power plant whose owners have announced they’ll likely sell or deactivate it within the next year. (State Journal)
• West Virginia sees an uptick in coal demand, but labor shortages and other obstacles have hampered attempts to increase production. (Bluefield Daily Telegraph)
GRID:
• Cybersecurity experts warn Texas’ electrical grid could be targeted by malware and hacking campaigns, in part because of its recent history of vulnerabilities. (KXAN)
• Texas’ grid manager expects to see record-breaking power demand this week amid higher than usual temperatures. (Reuters)
OIL & GAS:
• The rising price of natural gas results in a 70% increase in Texas power bills to the highest rates since the state grid was privatized in 1999. (Houston Chronicle)
• Several states are modeling legislation on a Texas law that forbids the state from doing business with institutions that “boycott” fossil fuels, although its enforceability is still murky. (Gizmodo)
BIOGAS: A Florida company prepares to begin operation of a $50 million landfill waste-to-energy gasification plant in Arkansas. (Arkansas Business)
GEOTHERMAL: An Oklahoma researcher will study the potential for abandoned oil and gas wells to be used to produce geothermal heat. (Journal Record)
CLIMATE:
• Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoes legislation to transfer administration of a multi-million-dollar community flood protection fund from an executive-branch agency to an appointed citizen board. (Virginia Mercury)
• Tennessee homeowners brace for an increase in the cost of flood insurance after a federal agency shifts how it calculates risk. (WKRN)
• A veteran government scientist and meteorologist is set to become the first person of color to lead the EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program to oversee environmental monitoring and cleanup efforts. (Virginia Mercury)
CARBON: The city council of Winston-Salem will consider whether to join six other North Carolina cities in supporting a federal fee tied to the carbon dioxide content of fossil fuels. (Winston-Salem Journal)
COMMENTARY: A Florida Power & Light official says the utility has improved reliability by 45% over the past decade and calls for more improvements to modernize and update the power grid. (Florida Times-Union)
More from the Energy News Network: Midwest | Southeast | Northeast | West