How a federal grant is building Appalachia’s clean energy economy

CLEAN ENERGY: A coalition of regional groups uses a $10 million federal grant to recruit more than 1,000 small and medium manufacturers for the growing clean energy economy in West Virginia and four other Appalachian states. (Energy News Network)

ALSO:

• Texas’ combination of geography, federal energy subsidies, deregulated energy market and state-wide power grid contribute to the rapid growth of wind and solar in the state, but politics could disrupt the dynamic. (CNET)
• A report shows Louisiana has received $10.2 billion so far from the two federal infrastructure and climate packages, and is using it for battery storage, carbon capture and clean energy development. (NOLA.com)

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CARBON CAPTURE: The U.S. EPA grants Louisiana the authority to approve and regulate the drilling of wells for carbon capture projects. (Louisiana Illuminator)

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SOLAR: Solar advocates in Georgia and elsewhere embrace federal funding for programs to reduce energy bills by making solar power affordable for lower-income households. (WABE/Grist)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Texas auto dealers will play a pivotal role in determining whether customers embrace the transition to electric vehicles. (Dallas Morning News)
• Virginia auto dealerships are investing an ​​average of $350,000 each to prepare for the shift to electric vehicles despite concerns about their short-term popularity. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
• An India-based electric vehicle battery maker plans to begin construction this year on a North Carolina factory. (Wilmington StarNews)
• An independent auto dealer announces it will open North Carolina’s first VinFast dealership as the electric vehicle maker builds a factory in the state. (WTVD)

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WIND: A Virginia city receives more than $39.2 million to renovate a marine terminal into an offshore wind logistics facility. (WVEC)

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HYDROGEN:

• Gulf Coast hydrogen developers eye new rules announced by the Biden administration governing how tax credits will be awarded. (Houston Chronicle)
• West Virginia’s U.S. senators complain new tax credit rules could kneecap attempts to build a hydrogen hub there. (Parkersburg News and Sentinel)

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GRID:

• Federal regulators conclude Texas should reduce its reliance on natural gas to avoid power outages like those that nearly caused the state grid to collapse in a 2021 winter storm. (Houston Chronicle)
• Dominion Energy says it’s boosting grid security in Virginia after a man is convicted of breaking into a substation to steal copper wire. (Loudoun Times-Mirror)
• Two American Electric Power subsidiaries detail their efforts to boost grid infrastructure around three West Virginia industrial parks. (WV Metro News)

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POLITICS: Virginia environmental justice advocates worry Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin is hampering a 2020 law intended to boost transparency and engagement with communities affected by pipelines and other energy projects. (Inside Climate News)

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OVERSIGHT:

• Texas regulators appear to be evading federal law by allowing polluting facilities to break major projects into smaller, “minor” permits that allow them to sidestep more stringent requirements and oversight. (Texas Tribune/Inside Climate News)
• West Virginia lawmakers consider increasing funding to hire more oil and gas well inspectors. (WV Metro News)

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COAL:

• An Alabama surface mine continues to operate even though it lacks required pollution permits, and state officials seem prepared to let it carry on. (Inside Climate News)
• A legal firm in Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia navigates black lung cases for coal miners who often don’t understand the process. (Kingsport TimesNews)
• A bond company asks a federal court to award it $8.1 million in its case against West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice’s coal companies. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)

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UTILITIES: West Virginia water and gas utilities spat over a line break and service outage last month. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)

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