Georgia companies want more clean power, but utility leans to gas

UTILITIES: A growing number of Georgia companies with climate goals are frustrated that less than half of Georgia Power’s electricity is carbon-free, and although the utility plans to build more solar, it’s still adding new gas turbines and delaying closure of its coal plants. (Grist/WABE)

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ALSO:

• The Tennessee Valley Authority faces blowback over its plans to build a natural gas-fired power plant in a Tennessee community, and greater scrutiny from federal officials as it develops its plan to meet growing power demand and attain net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. (Tennessee Lookout, Knoxville News Sentinel)
• A West Virginia task force formed at the behest of the coal industry orders the state’s four utilities to pursue fuel procurement and energy efficiency policies to lower energy costs, though critics argue the report doubles down on coal to the exclusion of other fuel sources. (Dominion Post)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Hyundai nears completion of its electric vehicle factory near Savannah, Georgia, with production expected to begin this fall, roughly two years after construction began. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, subscription)
• Hyundai already has hired more than 850 workers for its new Georgia electric vehicle factory, and now begins to ramp up hiring to fill thousands more jobs. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, subscription)

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SOLAR:

• A Virginia county board considers a draft policy with 19 requirements for proposed solar projects as its six-month moratorium on solar projects nears its conclusion. (Farmville Herald)
• A Virginia county planning board votes to recommend approval of a proposed 5 MW solar farm. (Lynchburg News & Advance)
• An Oklahoma family expresses frustration after buying solar panels before finding out their municipal utility doesn’t have the equipment to track and award energy credits. (KOTV)

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CLIMATE:

• A study by Kentucky’s former top geologist finds that surface mining could have significantly worsened the 2022 floods that killed more than 40 people. (Kentucky Lantern)
• Houston’s experience with Hurricane Beryl — a hurricane that knocks out power, followed by a dangerous heat wave as utility workers struggle to fix outages — represents the kind of compound disaster that researchers say will become more common with climate change. (E&E News)
• Advocates ding a federal program’s emphasis on benefitting low-income residents who live in colder areas over those who live in warmer places like Texas, even as air conditioning is increasingly necessary to protect against climate-exacerbated extreme heat. (Texas Tribune/Inside Climate News)

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COAL ASH: A town less than two miles from the University of North Carolina looks to redevelop 10 acres of land containing 46,000 tons of toxic coal ash, but lawyers and community members warn its cleanup plan still won’t adequately protect the public from health risks. (Inside Climate News)

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GRID: Houston Mayor John Whitmire promises to hold CenterPoint Energy “accountable” for widespread outages during Hurricane Beryl, but the mayor and city have little power to regulate the utility. (Houston Chronicle)

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OVERSIGHT: Environmental lawyers say the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn a policy giving federal agencies deference to interpret laws could affect Virginia’s regulation of vehicle emissions but probably not its enforcement of clean water rules. (Virginia Mercury)

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POLITICS:

• Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin restates his support for natural gas and nuclear power at a largely gas-sponsored energy conference, as his administration works to complete an updated energy plan in coming weeks. (Virginia Mercury)
• Despite increasingly heavy rainstorms and private investment in clean energy, West Virginia’s elected officials and political candidates are doubling down on coal and promises to dismantle incentives for renewables. (Fast Company)

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