SOLAR: A West Virginia school system will become the first in the state to run entirely on solar power after reaching an agreement with a state solar developer, prompting lame duck U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin to credit the federal climate package. (Associated Press)
ALSO:
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: After a successful strike against the Big Three automakers, the United Auto Workers announces plans to organize workers at 13 non-union companies building U.S. factories, with one of its strongest campaigns aiming at a Toyota plant in Kentucky. (CNN)
CLIMATE: Climate change and worsening natural disasters have sent insurance rates soaring in Texas by 22%, double the national average. (Texas Tribune)
CLEAN ENERGY: Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announces a partnership to develop 65,000 acres of former coal mining land into a hub with wind, solar, pumped storage hydropower, nuclear, natural gas, hydrogen and battery storage. (Virginia Business)
WIND: Dominion Energy’s undaunted pursuit of a 2.6 GW offshore wind farm near Virginia could make it a model for more offshore wind development as other projects are canceled or sharply scaled back amid complications. (GreenBiz)
COAL: Austin, Texas, continues to rely on an aging coal-fired power plant despite its net zero goals largely because the plant is co-owned by a state entity that’s resisted closing the facility. (Austin Chronicle)
OIL & GAS:
- The U.S. Coast Guard expands its search for the source of last month’s Gulf of Mexico oil after inspecting more than 40 miles of nearby pipeline without identifying any damage. (NOLA.com)
- A West Virginia natural gas company will credit customers $75 each for a multi-day outage that occurred when gas lines were flooded as the result of a water main break. (WV Metro News)
GRID: The Tennessee Valley Authority invests $8 million into weatherization and grid improvements to boost reliability after December 2022’s rolling blackouts….
Read the full article here
