Critics flood N.C. with complaints about Duke’s gas plans

EMISSIONS: North Carolina regulators receive hundreds of comments complaining Duke Energy’s plan to meet state emission goals arbitrarily limits solar and battery storage and relies too much on unproven hydrogen technology to justify building nearly 9 GW of new gas plants. (Energy News Network)

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ALSO: Researchers measure levels of carcinogenic ethylene oxide up to 20 times higher than previously estimated in Louisiana’s industrialized “Cancer Alley.” (Associated Press)

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PIPELINES:

• Federal regulators approve the long-delayed, $7.85 billion Mountain Valley Pipeline to enter service after a decade of regulatory, legal and on-the-ground battles against project opponents. (Roanoke Times, Associated Press)
• Virginia U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine votes against the nomination of a member to a federal regulatory commission as a protest against its approval of the Mountain Valley Pipeline, while West Virginia U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito applauds the decision. (Augusta Free Press, WV News)
• A pipeline company in Louisiana slows the construction of other pipeline projects worth $2 billion by challenging three companies over their ability to cross under its network of pipes. (Financial Times)
• Activists organize against a proposed 122-mile pipeline in Tennessee to a coal plant where the Tennessee Valley Authority proposes to build a gas-fired power plant. (WKRN)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• An electric vehicle charging company founded by seven major automakers selects North Carolina for its headquarters. (Raleigh News & Observer)
• A Florida transportation authority builds a 4.4-mile road equipped with coils to charge electric vehicles while they drive. (WFLA)

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SOLAR:

• A Canadian company begins production at a 5 GW solar module factory in Texas. (PV Tech)
• Construction begins on a solar-powered titanium plant in West Virginia. (WSAZ)
• A charitable Catholic community plans to build a community solar project on 22 acres in New Orleans. (National Catholic Reporter)

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GRID: Duke Energy power equipment in North Carolina is struck by gunfire, causing an oil leak, sparking a fire and prompting an FBI investigation a year and a half after a shooting attack on substations elsewhere in the state. (WRAL)

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COAL ASH: The U.S. EPA’s recent update to its coal ash rules still relies on companies to self-report and propose fixes for ash storage sites, which could lead to inconsistent enforcement. (E&E News)

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STORAGE: A Texas startup looks to sell distributed battery storage systems to customers with the intention of boosting the grid while providing customers a source of backup power. (San Antonio Express-News)

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UTILITIES: A Florida municipal utility board votes down a motion to fire its general manager after a debate over reducing its capital and operating expenses. (Alachua Chronicle)

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CLIMATE: A North Carolina researchers links intense heat and drought with a spike in emergency room visits by young people reporting mood disorders and suicide risks. (Inside Climate News)

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POLITICS: Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin questions whether a $21 million solar installation at the Pentagon might incorporate Chinese technology, despite Biden administration assurances the panels adhere to an executive order and “Made in America” laws. (WRIC)

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COMMENTARY: Virginia regulators’ consideration of mitigation rules for certain solar farms ignores the development of new practices and technology, suggesting an eventual proposal won’t benefit anyone, writes an energy columnist. (Virginia Mercury)

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