Virginia solar developers look to turn back local bans

SOLAR: A coalition of solar developers say they’ll lobby Virginia lawmakers to restrict local bans against such projects, spotlighting the local rejection of 33 utility-scale facilities totaling 3,236 MW over the past year and a half. (Virginia Mercury)

‍

PIPELINES:

• Pipeline operator Williams submits an application to federal regulators for a 54-mile natural gas pipeline in North Carolina and Virginia that’s part of a planned gas infrastructure buildout across the Southeast. (Augusta Free Press)
• West Virginia regulators approve rate hikes for two gas utilities to replace and expand their pipeline networks. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)

‍

OIL & GAS:

• Dozens of Virginia residents speak out against a company’s plans to build a 3,500 MW gas-fired power plant to power a planned data center campus. (Danville Register & Bee)
• Opponents of Dominion Energy’s planned gas-fired power plant in central Virginia hold a “people’s hearing” after a local county board failed to schedule a public hearing on the project. (WRIC)

‍

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Florida electric vehicle owners tout how they provided backup power and didn’t use scarce fuel supplies during Hurricanes Helene and Milton. (Florida Politics)
• A new report finds Tennessee ranks high for anticipated jobs and investment from electric vehicle and battery makers, and is making gains on charger installation even though it still lags other states. (Tennessee Lookout, WKRN)

‍

GRID:

• A federal judge rejects a Texas law that restricts the construction and operation of new transmission lines to companies already running such facilities in the state, finding it unfairly restricts interstate commerce. (Reuters)
• Three boards in a Florida city vote to approve a $9.3 million project to bury power lines after Hurricane Milton knocked out power for three days. (TC Palm)
• A Virginia county board approves a $2.7 billion data center campus, which will require Dominion Energy to install a new substation and power lines. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

‍

FINANCE: Memphis, Tennessee, launches a “green bank” to fund energy efficiency, green infrastructure and renewable energy projects. (WREG)

‍

OVERSIGHT: Critics complain that West Virginia officials scheduled meetings about a proposed ranking system for plugging gas wells and the planned Appalachian hydrogen hub at the same time, preventing concerned residents from attending both. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)

‍

EMISSIONS:

• The Biden administration announces funding for 55 projects to reduce emissions at ports, including in Georgia and Virginia. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, subscription; Virginia Mercury)
• New data shows that West Virginia ranks 12th in the U.S. for greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources, with 70% of that coming from electricity generation. (West Virginia Watch)

‍

CLIMATE: The Federal Emergency Management Agency has paid out more than $190 million so far to individuals in North Carolina for damage from Hurricane Helene, while thousands of Virginia residents and businesses apply for more. (Asheville Watchdog, Bristol Herald Courier)

‍

UTILITIES: Florida Power & Light asks state regulators for a rate hike to recover $1.2 billion in costs for restoring power after hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton, and to replenish a storm fund. (News Service of Florida)

‍

FOSSIL FUELS: West Virginia’s coal and gas leaders discuss ways to grow the market for their products at an energy conference, while the state’s Republican candidate for governor promises to fight federal regulation. (WV Metro News, Parkersburg News and Sentinel)

‍