GRID: Solar energy is playing a “major role” in stabilizing Texas’ power grid amid record-breaking heat, providing 4 to 5 gigawatts of power. (CBS Austin)
ALSO:
• An analyst predicts the heat wave could produce windfall profits for power generators as grid operators try to balance supply and demand. (Utility Dive)
• The heat wave straining the power grid in Texas and beyond is highlighting the need for more long-duration energy storage, experts say. (Utility Dive)
• Oklahoma utility officials are asking customers to give their air conditioners a break and conserve power in other ways “so we don’t get into a crisis.” (KOCO)
SOLAR:
• A solar manufacturer announces it will open a new factory in Texas to produce its residential solar roof shingles domestically instead of in Asia. (Reuters)
• An annual Solar in the Southeast report shows Florida is the region’s undisputed solar leader, with 2 GW more capacity than any other state. (WUWF)
• Solar panels and yard signs advertising installers are already showing up in North Carolina neighborhoods after the state supreme court ruled last month that homeowner associations can’t unreasonably block solar panels. (Spectrum)
• A North Carolina county board says it rejected rezoning for a large solar farm this spring because of concerns for water quality, noise pollution and unspecified “health issues.” (Hickory Daily Record)
EMISSIONS:
• North Carolina environmentalists, utility regulators, and Duke Energy largely agree on the need to decarbonize the state’s power sector but remain decades apart with their timelines. (Fayetteville Observer)
• The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent EPA decision does not stop North Carolina’s state law requiring power plants to cut carbon emissions, and it is also unlikely to revive West Virginia’s coal economy. (Coastal Review, Mountain State Spotlight)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Georgia officials recruiting Hyundai Motor Group to build a $5.5 billion electric car plant near Savannah approve portions of the deal. (Associated Press)
• Florida Power & Light will install 34 fast-charging stations this summer along major highways. (WLRN)
• North Carolina is seeking volunteers for a mileage-based user fee pilot program that could replace gas taxes as more drivers switch to electric vehicles. (WNCN)
UTILITIES:
• Utility customers in Huntsville, Alabama, are frustrated with rising electric bills, which officials blame on rising coal and natural gas costs. (WAFF)
• As customers complain, a Florida municipal utility blames its recent rate increases on rising and volatile natural gas prices. (WPTV)
NUCLEAR: State-appointed monitors say a failure to complete paperwork has contributed to delays and skyrocketing costs at Georgia Power’s Plant Vogtle nuclear project. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
OIL & GAS: Texas oil and gas employment may never rebound to pre-COVID levels, according to a new report from an energy economics think tank. (Marketplace) COMMENTARY:
• Georgia Power’s long-range energy plan before state regulators falls far short in addressing social and environmental damages of fossil fuels, three climate activists write. (Georgia Recorder)
• A U.S. Army veteran from Falls Church, Virginia, says Congress must pass clean energy legislation to address America’s dangerous dependence on fossil fuels. (RealClear Energy)
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