TVA officially announces closure, plans for huge Tenn. coal plant

TRANSITION: The Tennessee Valley Authority announces it will close a huge coal-fired power plant near Knoxville, Tennessee, that was the site of a major coal ash spill, and replace it with a 1,500 MW natural gas plant by 2027. (Knoxville News Sentinel)

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ALSO: Dominion Energy’s plans to build a new natural gas-fired power plant in Virginia raises questions whether it plans to meet a state goal to entirely transition away from fossil fuels by 2045. (Virginia Business)

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GRID:

• Hundreds of thousands of Ohio Valley homes lost power after severe storms led to high winds, hail and tornadoes. (CNN, Lexington Herald-Leader)
• West Virginia and Kentucky utilities hustle to restore power as forecasters predict more storms arriving today. (WV Metro News, Lexington Herald-Leader)
• Data centers are driving the huge spike in electricity demand that Georgia Power has seen over the last two years, and which now is leading it to pursue more natural gas investment. (Columbus Ledger-Enquirer)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Georgia automakers warily eye the U.S. EPA’s newly proposed rules to limit vehicle emissions as they consider adding hybrids to planned electric vehicle factories, with only financially troubled Rivian offering unequivocal support. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

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STORAGE: A battery materials maker secures a $103 million federal tax credit for its factory in Tennessee. (Chattanooga Times Free Press, subscription)

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OIL & GAS:

• Cheniere Energy, the nation’s top producer of liquified natural gas, sees a significant drop in demand at its Texas and Louisiana plants, resulting in an overall drop in U.S. LNG production. (Reuters)
• Former BP executives discuss their communication strategy around the 2010 Deepwater oil spill during a conference at the University of Mississippi. (Daily Mississippian)

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PIPELINES: Mountain Valley Pipeline opponents call on Virginia’s environmental agency to issue a stop-work order after it fined the pipeline $34,000 for erosion and sediment violations from last fall. (Virginia Mercury)

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NUCLEAR: The second of two new reactors at Georgia Power’s nuclear Plant Vogtle reaches 100% power for the first time and is expected to enter service by June, finally signaling an end to the plant’s long-delayed, over-budget expansion. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

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OVERSIGHT:

• Black voters in Georgia who argue the state’s at-large elections for energy regulators violate their rights by diluting their vote are appealing the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. (WABE/Grist)
• A Texas Congress member files legislation to block new U.S. EPA regulations requiring refineries, chemical facilities and coal processing units to file additional reports about hazardous materials they keep on site. (Houston Chronicle)
• The second of two new Virginia energy regulators is sworn in, filling out the powerful three-member commission for the first time in two years. (Virginia Business)

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COMMENTARY: Virginia’s data center boom is creating an energy crisis that threatens the power grid, drinking water sources, and the state’s commitment to transition from fossil fuels, writes a columnist. (Virginia Mercury)

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