COAL: Federal officials propose a new rule to limit coal miners’ exposure to silica, a dust linked to the recent surge in severe black lung disease cases. (NPR)
ALSO:
• West Virginia residents sue the second largest U.S. coal mine operator because they say its mining practices are releasing methane that’s damaged their homes and property. (Inside Climate News)
• Kentucky pays out more than $74 million to 29 counties in coal severance revenue. (WCHS)
• An investigation finds a miner’s death at a West Virginia coal mine with a long history of safety violations occurred after he was pinned beneath a vehicle. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)
OVERSIGHT: Public utility commissioners who decide whether states get their power from renewables and fossil fuels and make rate decisions are overwhelmingly White and male, and few have environmental backgrounds, a pair of studies find. (Energy News Network)
CLEAN ENERGY:
• U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm warns that electing Republicans could lead to a reversal in Georgia’s clean energy construction boom if they roll back federal incentives for solar panel and electric vehicle makers. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Utility Dive)
• Virginia is among the states that could see huge job gains if a regional grid organization moves to accelerate its processing of more than 250 GW of energy projects in queue — most of them for renewable or battery storage projects. (Inside Climate News)
SOLAR: A Virginia county board considers a 135 MW solar farm and new commercial solar rules that developers warn could “make solar illegal” in much of the county. (Daily Progress)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Electric vehicle maker Rivian sees an uptick in production and delivery numbers for the second quarter of 2023 as it moves to build a factory in Georgia. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, subscription)
OIL & GAS: Federal regulators release an environmental document as a step toward approval of the Tennessee Valley Authority’s plan to build 32 miles of pipeline to supply a natural gas plant that would replace a Tennessee coal-fired power plant. (E&E News, subscription)
PIPELINES:
• Elected North Carolina officials take sides on the Mountain Valley Pipeline’s Southgate extension amid the developer’s request for an extension on the project. (News & Observer)
• Environmental groups continue to sue to block the Mountain Valley Pipeline even after Congress included its forced completion in a deal to raise the debt limit. (Augusta Free Press)
GRID: State regulators threaten Kentucky Power with fines for not doing enough to shore up power supplies ahead of a winter storm-related shortfall late last year. (Kentucky Lantern)
CARBON CAPTURE: A company plans to convert some of its 4,000 miles of natural gas pipelines in Louisiana for carbon capture despite a lack of federal rules and safety standards. (Inside Climate News)
UTILITIES:
• Shifts in natural gas and short-term commercial paper markets led Dominion Energy to borrow $1.74 billion from its parent company, triggering a request to Virginia regulators to allow it to spread out its fuel costs over several years. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
• West Virginia regulators approve a request from Appalachian Power to receive up to $500 million through 2024 from its parent company, American Electric Power. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)
• A new law changing how Virginia regulators set rates for Dominion Energy takes effect. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
• Dominion Energy expands a program to charge customers more for using electricity during times of high demand while offering lower rates during “off-peak” hours. (WRIC)
COMMENTARY:
• The head of an energy company argues oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico should be protected as a global energy source with a shrinking carbon footprint. (The Advocate)
• Two members of a conservative conservation group hail Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee for taking action to attract nuclear energy development. (Tennessean)
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