Texas, California lead U.S. to record-breaking solar year

SOLAR: Texas and California led the way for the record-breaking addition of 34 GW of new solar and 13 GW in battery storage across the U.S. last year, as 96% of all new power plants built in 2024 were carbon-free. (Canary Media)

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ALSO:

• A North Carolina appeals court upholds a county’s denial of what would have been the largest solar farm in the state over concerns about disappearing farmland. (Assembly/WHQR)
• A renewables company closes financing for a 145 MW solar farm in Texas that’s expected to enter production later this year. (news release)
• An energy company closes financing on a 109 MW solar farm in Georgia whose power will be purchased by a nonprofit generation and transmission company. (PV Tech)

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OIL & GAS: Phillips 66 announces it will spend $2.2 billion to buy a Texas network of gas pipelines and processing facilities as the company aims to grow its sales of natural gas liquids. (Houston Chronicle)

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STORAGE: A battery materials company cuts staffing despite Tennessee expansion plans that could draw on more than $50 million in incentives. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)

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UTILITIES:

• A Republican Virginia lawmaker introduces legislation to allow residential customers of Appalachian Power to shop for other electricity providers if their bills are more than 25% of the statewide average. (Roanoke Times)
• Entergy asks Louisiana regulators to allow it to bill customers more than $182 million to recover costs for repairs from Hurricane Francine. (Louisiana Illuminator)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Analysts expect a 30% jump in electric vehicle sales this year, even though the incoming Trump administration and its threat of tariffs and rolling back the EV tax credit and other incentives could slow the industry’s growth. (Associated Press)

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GRID:

• The Texas power grid has held up during this week’s winter storm, but analysts say it’s still at risk of rolling blackouts during a more intense weather event. (KXAS)
• Officials say the power failure at a Richmond, Virginia, water treatment plant that caused a regional water crisis was caused by an automatic power transfer failure. (WTVR)

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COAL: Coal mining safety advocates worry that President-elect Trump and Republican majorities in Congress could weaken a new rule to protect miners from toxic silica dust that contributes to a form of black lung disease. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)

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EMISSIONS: Florida residents protest a county’s plan to build a trash incinerator in or near some diverse communities that advocates say have been disproportionately affected by toxic plants and their emissions. (KFF Health News)

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CLIMATE: Louisiana officials vote to end an extra 1.36% assessment and other charges at the state-run insurer of last resort, helping lower fees as insurance rates skyrocket in the state. (Louisiana Illuminator)

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COMMENTARY:

• Texas lawmakers should protect the environment and consumers, and streamline permitting to accelerate the development of renewable energy and backup power generation, writes an environmentalist. (San Antonio Express-News)
• The 10 hottest years in Texas have occurred in the past decade, but the fossil fuel industry is still gearing up for more expansion under the incoming Trump administration, writes a columnist. (Houston Chronicle)

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