UTILITIES: Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam wants Dominion Energy to cover unpaid residential electric bills with the $320 million that state regulators say the company previously overcharged. (Virginian-Pilot)

***SPONSORED LINK: National Clean Energy Week Policy Makers Symposium is September 21-25. Register to hear from members of Congress and leading clean energy innovators. Register today at https://nationalcleanenergyweek.org.***

OIL & GAS:
• A disagreement over a potential crude export terminal in Texas is resolved, but the project still requires funding, pipelines and more oil demand. (S&P Global)
• Oil and gas producers slowly restore operations along the Gulf Coast post-Hurricane Laura. (S&P Global)

COAL ASH: A group of Tennessee residents hosted a Zoom meeting last month with politicians, regulators, reporters and environmental groups to ask questions about coal ash at TVA’s Bull Run plant. (Oak Ridger)

SOLAR:
• A renewable company partners with Duke Energy to build a 1.1 MW floating solar array at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, along with other energy efficiency improvements. (Worcester Business Journal)
• Solar developers describe how to mount a rooftop solar system that will survive a hurricane in places like Florida. (Solar Power World)
• The mayor of Orlando, Florida, says the airport’s floating solar array is a “baby step” for the city to transition to cleaner energy. (Orlando Sentinel)
• Google signs a power purchase agreement for a 140 MW solar project in Texas to help power its operations. (Energy + Environment Leader)

***SPONSORED LINK: Energy vs Climate is a webinar series and podcast that breaks down the trade-offs and hard truths of the energy transition in Alberta, Canada, and beyond. Episode 4: Build Back Better explores options for a post-COVID energy recovery. Register now!***

NUCLEAR: Georgia Power says Plant Vogtle construction is 87% complete and still on schedule. (Savannah Morning News) 

COMMENTARY: A Florida resident says politicians should support solar energy-friendly policies, especially as the region struggles with hurricanes. (Apalachicola Times)

Mobile pollution monitors sent to oil, gas hub hit by Hurricane Laura is an article from Energy News Network, a nonprofit news service covering the clean energy transition. If you would like to support us please make a donation.

ALSO:
• Offshore wind energy giant Ørsted is investing heavily in solar, with projects in the works in Texas and Alabama. (Greentech Media)
• New Port Richey, Florida, enters into a long-term agreement with Duke Energy to allow customers to subscribe to solar energy projects. (Suncoast News)
• A solar company and local utility will build a 9 MW solar farm in Tennessee through a 20-year partnership agreement with the Tennessee Valley Authority. (Solar Industry)

***SPONSORED LINK: National Clean Energy Week Policy Makers Symposium is September 21-25. Register to hear from members of Congress and leading clean energy innovators. Register today at https://nationalcleanenergyweek.org.***

RENEWABLES: Duke Energy’s newest long-range plan in North Carolina would speed adoption of renewable energy but add as much as $50 to customers’ monthly bills. (WFAE) 

OIL & GAS: Emissions from a leaking natural gas well off the Texas coast were  down to about 5% of what they were Tuesday, officials say. (Associated Press)

COAL:
• Hundreds of former Blackjewel employees could receive $17.3 million in compensation under a deal proposed to the company. (Lexington Herald-Leader)
• A journalist shares an excerpt from his new book on the uphill battle for miners with black lung disease trying to access medical benefits. (Marketplace)

TRANSMISSION: Hurricane Laura caused “catastrophic” damage to Louisiana’s electric grid and transmission towers, according to Entergy, which will leave some customers without power for weeks. (Daily Energy Insider)

UTILITIES: A recent legal case involving Duke Energy Florida could set a precedent for more secrecy around utility regulation. (Tampa Bay Times)

COMMENTARY:
• An environmental group says the regional electricity market that utilities are pushing for would detract from North Carolina’s efforts to transition to cleaner and more affordable energy. (Environmental Defense Fund)
• Voters who care about climate change should vote on the Texas Railroad Commission race, an organizer writes. (San Antonio Express-News)
• An environmental group says regulators need to end utility shut-offs for non-payment, since many people could lose power even as the pandemic continues. (NRDC)

Duke Energy says it can add more renewables — but it will cost customers is an article from Energy News Network, a nonprofit news service covering the clean energy transition. If you would like to support us please make a donation.

ALSO:
• The second phase of a 497 MW solar farm in West Texas is now operational, making it the largest in the state. (reNews)
• Raleigh County, West Virginia, officials vote to move forward with a solar project that promises to bring 100 jobs during construction. (WVVA)
• Florida college students help develop technology to help make solar panels more efficient by tracking cloud movement overhead. (WKMG)

***SPONSORED LINK: National Clean Energy Week Policy Makers Symposium is September 21-25. Register to hear from members of Congress and leading clean energy innovators. Register today at https://nationalcleanenergyweek.org.***

UTILITIES: Duke Energy says it could cut greenhouse gas emissions more than 70% in the next 15 years in North and South Carolina, but it would cost customers up to $58 a month. (Bloomberg) 

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Dothan, Alabama, officials approve an agreement with Charge Point to install the city’s first public electric vehicle charging stations. (Dothan Eagle)

GRID: An intense heat wave blankets areas of Louisiana and Texas hit by Hurricane Laura, where more than 300,000 still lack power. (Washington Post)

RENEWABLES:
• Two Austin Community College campuses are now powered with 100% renewable energy, making it the first community college in Texas to do so. (KVUE)
• South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster issues a state proclamation recognizing September 21-25 as Clean Energy Week in the state. (ABC News 4)

OIL & GAS: The Coast Guard is responding to a natural gas-producing platform off the coast of Corpus Christi, Texas, that has been leaking since Tuesday morning. (KRIS TV)

NUCLEAR: More than 800 workers Georgia Power’s Plant Vogtle nuclear project have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

PIPELINES: Energy Transfer announces that it has completed its Lone Star Express Pipeline expansion project in Texas. (news release)

DEVELOPMENT: The Trump administration is seeking to fast track environmental reviews of dozens of major energy and infrastructure projects, including some on national forest land in the Southeast. (Associated Press)

COMMENTARY:
• Despite projections that it’s nearly complete, the Mountain Valley Pipeline still faces major hurdles, according to an environmental hydrologist. (Virginia Mercury)
• A reporter outlines how the South could save money by cleaning up its power grid — but its monopoly utilities are holding it back. (Vox) 

Alabama Power gets approval to raise solar fees even higher is an article from Energy News Network, a nonprofit news service covering the clean energy transition. If you would like to support us please make a donation.

COAL ASH: The EPA relaxes guidelines for disposing of coal ash and wastewater from coal-fired power plants, which critics say could allow more pollutants into waterways. (Wall Street Journal)

***SPONSORED LINK: National Clean Energy Week Policy Makers Symposium is September 21-25. Register to hear from members of Congress and leading clean energy innovators. Register today at https://nationalcleanenergyweek.org.***

OIL & GAS: 
• West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice says he will defer to economic development officials on whether to approve a $5.6 million state loan guarantee for a proposed natural gas power plant despite his doubts about its viability. (Weirton Daily Times)
• Cheniere Energy restarts operations at its liquefied natural gas plant in Louisiana after reporting minimal damage from Hurricane Laura. (Houston Chronicle)
• The president of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association steps down to become  a regional director for the American Petroleum Institute. (Daily Advertiser)

NUCLEAR: Santee Cooper finalizes a settlement over its failed South Carolina nuclear project that will enable the utility to sell off leftover parts and materials. (Post and Courier)

WIND: Dominion Energy purchases a crane for the vessel that will be used to build offshore wind installations. (Offshorewind.biz)

UTILITIES:
• Memphis may get cheaper wholesale electricity if it splits from TVA, but bond rating agencies say the city’s bond rating could be hurt. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)
• A federally funded program could help households with older Floridians get energy bill assistance during the pandemic. (Apopka Voice)
• Knoxville utility regulators say a federal grant will help struggling customers pay their utility bills. (WATE)
• Duke Energy customers in North Carolina will see monthly bills slightly reduced starting this week, although regulators are considering a rate hike for the utility next year. (Triad Business Journal, subscription)

COMMENTARY:
• An environmental group says Duke Energy and its partners have pulled the plug on about $11.6 billion in failed projects since 2013. (Environmental Working Group)
• A former congressman challenges Florida elected officials and candidates to speak out against Trump’s plan to open up offshore drilling. (Tampa Bay Times)

Energy industry pushes biogas to replace failed pipeline projects is an article from Energy News Network, a nonprofit news service covering the clean energy transition. If you would like to support us please make a donation.

ALSO: Speakers at the Republican National Convention last week did not focus on helping the struggling coal industry and its workers. (Washington Post)

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HURRICANE LAURA:
• Hurricane Laura left about 900,000 U.S. homes and businesses without power across the Gulf Coast region. (E&E News, subscription)
• Energy companies continue efforts to restore operations at Gulf Coast offshore platforms and refineries shut down by Hurricane Laura, as the port near Lake Charles recovers from significant damage. (Reuters, The Advocate)

OIL & GAS: 
• The Democratic candidate for governor of West Virginia says he will support state funding for a proposed natural gas power plant. (Parkersburg News and Sentinel)
• An oil and gas company is issuing 5 million shares of new stock to raise cash to acquire mineral interests in Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana. (Oklahoman)

OFFSHORE DRILLING: The future of an offshore oil drilling moratorium off the coast of Florida could hinge on the outcome of the presidential election. (Tampa Bay Times) 

PIPELINES:
• A group of Wheeling, West Virginia, residents file a petition to stop traffic from a pipeline project from passing by their homes, which they say is dangerous. (WTRF)
• A federal judge on Friday refused to halt construction of the Permian Highway Pipeline in Texas. (Courthouse News Service)

SOLAR:
• Duke University partners with a renewable energy company to build three new solar farms to help it carbon neutral by 2024. (Solar Builder)
• A West Virginia county chamber of commerce comes out in favor of a proposed solar farm in Raleigh County, and the county commission will vote on an agreement with developers this week. (Register-Herald)

WIND: Construction is about to begin on the Maverick Wind Energy Center, a 288 MW wind farm in Oklahoma. (Enid News & Eagle)

NUCLEAR: After years of legal battles, the U.S. Department of Energy will haul away tons of atomic material it shipped to South Carolina for use in a failed nuclear fuel factory. (The State)

POLLUTION: Key air pollution monitors are offline in Louisiana after Hurricane Laura hits the state’s oil and gas hub. (Associated Press)

Coal miners largely left out of Republicans’ re-election pitch is an article from Energy News Network, a nonprofit news service covering the clean energy transition. If you would like to support us please make a donation.