Texas oil vets pivot to geothermal

GEOTHERMAL: Texas is emerging as a hotspot for geothermal energy exploration, with scores of former oil industry workers and executives seeking to use their knowledge of geology, drilling, and extraction to tap into a new energy source. (Texas Tribune)

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OFFSHORE WIND:

• An offshore wind developer says it needs a commitment in Duke Energy’s carbon reduction and resource plan this year to keep its North Carolina projects on schedule to receive federal tax credits. (News & Observer)
• As a group of Virginia Beach residents oppose an offshore cable coming ashore in their neighborhood, an offshore wind developer renews its pitch to city officials for easements to connect its project to the grid. (Virginia Pilot)

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OIL & GAS:

• Texas’ House Speaker names a committee to study the economic impact of the Biden administration’s pause on permitting new LNG export facilities and to recommend the state’s potential recourse. (KXAN)
• Permian Basin drillers are more likely to vent and flare methane as a mild winter and pipeline maintenance projects in the region leave them with a glut of cheap gas, industry watchdogs say. (Inside Climate News)
• Louisiana House lawmakers overwhelmingly pass a bill that would cut the state’s oil severance tax rate by 4%, potentially causing an $80 million revenue gap. (NOLA.com)

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PIPELINES: A Virginia couple who have fought the Mountain Valley Pipeline for a decade talk about the grief, fear, and anger of having to live next to the project for the last six years. (West Virginia Public Broadcasting)

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POLITICS: A bill awaiting signature from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis would ban offshore wind energy, relax natural gas pipeline rules, and eliminate most mentions of climate change from existing state laws. (Grist)

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GRID: Texas’ grid operator says it underestimated how fast San Antonio would grow, leaving the region with transmission issues that “could lead to cascading outages” and put the statewide grid at risk. (San Antonio Express-News)

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SOLAR:

• Texas grid officials say they are planning ahead and don’t anticipate problems from next month’s solar eclipse, which is predicted to reduce midday solar generation up to 16% on April 8. (KXII)
• Norfolk, Virginia, enters an agreement to buy power from solar panels installed on fire stations and other city facilities. (WTKR)
• Mississippi State University will spend $2.5 million to add on-campus solar that’s expected to save it $24 million in energy costs. (WCBI)

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OVERSIGHT: A bill awaiting signature by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp would extend the length of state utility regulators’ six-year terms by another two years. (Union Recorder)

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TRANSPORTATION: Drivers of fuel-efficient and electric vehicles in Virginia say they are being penalized with higher vehicle registration fees. (WAVY)

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INDUSTRY:

• A Roanoke, Virginia, cement company will receive up to $61.7 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to demonstrate a method of making cement with clay that reduces carbon emissions. (Cardinal News)
• A West Virginia aluminum products facility will receive up to $75 million in federal funds to install low-emission furnaces that can operate on a range of fuels, including hydrogen. (WSAZ)

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COMMENTARY: In a “reality check” on small nuclear reactors, a Virginia editor says the best site for one is likely at an existing nuclear power plant, but that it’s up to utilities and regulators — not the governor — to decide. (Cardinal News)

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