Advocates pitch solar-plus-storage to boost N.C. grid resiliency

SOLAR: After Hurricane Helene disabled more than 350 electrical substations in western North Carolina, advocates call for widespread installation of solar-plus-storage microgrids as a more effective climate resiliency investment than storm-hardening traditional grid infrastructure. (Canary Media)

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ALSO:

• Kentucky residents react to a proposed 250 MW solar farm ahead of a public meeting later this month. (WEHT)
• A company secures financing for a 408 MW solar farm under construction in Texas. (Solar Industry)
• A Virginia county will hold a public hearing on a company’s proposal to build 4 MW and a 2 MW solar farms. (Cardinal News)
• Mon Power and Potomac Edison complete construction of a 5.5 MW solar farm in West Virginia. (Fairmont News)

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HYDROGEN:

• A report finds a third of the projects planned as part of an Appalachian hydrogen hub in West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania already have been scrapped, raising questions about the federally funded project’s viability. (Inside Climate News)
• Critics question the lack of progress and transparency around seven proposed hydrogen hubs the federal government is backing with up to $7 billion in grants. (Canary Media)

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NUCLEAR: Kentucky and West Virginia are among the states where lawmakers have opened the door to nuclear energy development as tech companies push for carbon-free energy to power data centers. (Associated Press)

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OIL & GAS:

• Texas residents organize against construction of a planned 1,200 MW gas-fired power plant. (KXAN)
• Documents reveal the oil and gas industry has drafted a detailed plan to roll back climate rules and regulations if Republican Donald Trump is elected next month. (Washington Post)

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PIPELINES: The launch of operations at the 580-mile Matterhorn Express pipeline has opened up distribution bottlenecks from the Permian Basin, reversing price trends and incentivizing operators to increase production. (Reuters)

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HYDROPOWER: Public opposition helped defeat a proposal to build new dams around Asheville in the ‘60s and ‘70s, which contributed to the flooding of the city by the French Broad River during Hurricane Helene. (The Dispatch)

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GRID: Regional grid operator PJM asks federal regulators for a six-month delay in its next auction after environmental groups file a complaint alleging it could unnecessarily cost ratepayers an extra $14.5 billion. (Dominion Post)

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UTILITIES:

• Dominion Energy projects its monthly bills will rise 50% by 2039 as it floats a plan to increase gas-fired generation by 70% while also boosting renewables. (WRIC)
• American Electric Power, Duke Energy, Oklahoma Gas and Electric and the Southern Company were among the utilities pressing for a stay of the U.S. EPA’s new power plant emission rules, which was denied by the U.S. Supreme Court. (Utility Dive, WV Metro News)

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OVERSIGHT: Louisiana voters consider three candidates for a seat on the state’s powerful energy regulatory board. (Louisiana Illuminator)

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ADVOCACY: A former NFL player discusses his involvement in the Sierra Club’s campaign against coal-fired power in western North Carolina led him to become a lobbyist with the organization. (Sierra)

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