Virginia bill aims to supersize third-party wind and solar

CLEAN ENERGY: Virginia lawmakers consider legislation to make way for more clean energy produced by customers and third-party wind and solar to increase market competition and lower rates as the state aims to meet clean energy goals. (Energy News Network)

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ALSO: Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp tells leaders at the World Economic Forum that his state needs more clean energy to attract economic projects such as the electric vehicle and battery factories that have settled there. (Associated Press)

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CLIMATE:

• At least 14 people have died in Tennessee from a deadly winter storm that’s dumped snow and ice and sent temperatures plunging, with forecasts for more storm weather today. (Associated Press)
• West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice asks state lawmakers to move $50 million to a flood resiliency fund that’s sat empty since it was created last year. (Mountain State Spotlight)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Mississippi lawmakers approve a $365 million incentive package to attract a 2,000-job electric vehicle battery factory. (Associated Press)
• Georgia regulators request funding to inspect electric vehicle chargers after lawmakers added the task to the agency’s list of duties last year. (WABE)
• A North Carolina lithium company puts a processing plant and research center on hold as it cuts costs amid slumps in the electric vehicle and lithium markets. (WFAE)

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OIL & GAS:

• Dominion Energy plans to build out onsite natural gas storage at multiple sites in North Carolina and Virginia, and Duke Energy considers following suit as critics worry about costs and emissions. (States Newsroom)
• El Paso residents in a low-income, largely Hispanic neighborhood see Marathon Petroleum’s filing for a renewal of its permit for an oil refinery as a chance to press the company for more transparency and accountability. (Inside Climate News)
• An employee injured in an explosion at a Texas hotel alleges that workers informed management about a natural gas odor, but it failed to evacuate the building. (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)

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GRID: Experts say Texas’ renewable-energy building spree has strengthened the state power grid so that it’s better prepared to handle extreme winter weather. (Washington Post)

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PIPELINES: Mountain Valley Pipeline developers adjust plans for its proposed Southgate spur into North Carolina, shortening the extension by more than half but widening its diameter and capacity. (Inside Climate News)

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COAL:

• A professor discusses how the politics and culture of coal in Appalachia have shifted over the last 20 years. (Daily Yonder)
• Documents show that two-thirds of Tennessee’s coal mining permits are in bond forfeiture because companies don’t have money to reclaim them. (WPLN)

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HYDROGEN: Federal officials award a $70 million grant to build hydrogen fueling stations at Texas truck stops. (Texas Standard)

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OVERSIGHT: Georgia regulators seem skeptical of Georgia Power’s request to buy more energy and build new batteries and gas turbines to meet the news of a surging state economy they say has produced 40 years’ worth of growth in just two years. (WABE)

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COMMENTARY:

• A push by Florida officials to allow up to 8,000 more residents to move to the Florida Keys will cause all sorts of problems as climate change brings higher storm surges and stronger hurricanes, writes a journalist. (Florida Phoenix)
• A clean energy group applauds North Carolina’s approval of a pilot program to allow Duke Energy customers to save money on solar and battery storage installations when they’re installed together. (Southern Environmental Law Center)

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