Advocates pitch solar-plus-storage to boost N.C. grid resiliency

SOLAR: After Hurricane Helene disabled more than 350 electrical substations in western North Carolina, advocates call for widespread installation of solar-plus-storage microgrids as a more effective climate resiliency investment than storm-hardening traditional grid infrastructure. (Canary Media)

NUCLEAR: Kentucky and West Virginia are among the states where lawmakers have opened the door to nuclear energy development as tech companies push for carbon-free energy to power data centers. (Associated Press)

PIPELINES: The launch of operations at the 580-mile Matterhorn Express pipeline has opened up distribution bottlenecks from the Permian Basin, reversing price trends and incentivizing operators to increase production. (Reuters)

HYDROPOWER: Public opposition helped defeat a proposal to build new dams around Asheville in the ​‘60s and ​‘70s, which contributed to the flooding of the city by the French Broad River during Hurricane Helene. (The Dispatch)

GRID: Regional grid operator PJM asks federal regulators for a six-month delay in its next auction after environmental groups file a complaint alleging it could unnecessarily cost ratepayers an extra $14.5 billion. (Dominion Post)

OVERSIGHT: Louisiana voters consider three candidates for a seat on the state’s powerful energy regulatory board. (Louisiana Illuminator)

ADVOCACY: A former NFL player discusses his involvement in the Sierra Club’s campaign against coal-fired power in western North Carolina led him to become a lobbyist with the organization. (Sierra)