Climate change looms in Georgia’s runoff elections

ELECTIONS: Climate change and its effects on sea level haven’t been a major campaign focus but still loom large in Tuesday’s ​“double barrel” runoff Senate elections in Georgia. (Savannah Morning News)

ALSO: The Georgia runoff for a seat on the state’s utility regulation commission has focused on whether the Republican incumbent is too friendly to Georgia Power at the expense of consumers. (Associated Press)

UTILITIES:
• South Carolina’s three biggest utilities — Duke Energy, Dominion Energy and Santee Cooper — face decisions about nuclear, coal and renewable energy that will shape the state’s energy profile for decades to come. (Post and Courier)
• South Carolina lawmakers request an investigation of NextEra as a prospective buyer of the troubled, taxpayer-owned Santee Cooper electric utility. (The State)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A startup maker of off-road electric vehicles plans to build a headquarters and manufacturing site in central Texas. (Austin American-Statesman)

SOLAR:
• A Texas community considers the financial benefits from a proposed 500 MW solar farm. (Times Record News)
• A 225 MW West Texas solar project begins operations with four separate power-purchase agreements. (Hill Country Community Journal)

COAL:
• The bankruptcy of central Appalachian and Wyoming coal operator Blackjewel will stretch into 2021 after a federal judge blocked a request to liquidate the company. (Casper Star-Tribune)
• A Texas city will consider whether to sell a coal plant it owns with three other cities. (Denton Record-Chronicle)
• West Virginians observe the 15th anniversary of the Sago mine disaster, which killed 12 coal miners. (WV MetroNews)
• Kentucky observes the 50th anniversary of the Finley Coal Company disaster, which killed 38 miners. (Lexington Herald-Leader)

OIL & GAS: Effects of the slumping oil and gas industry spread to real estate, as rental rates in two west Texas cities tied to the industry drop by more than a third. (KMID)

TRANSITION: A lucrative contract to modernize Louisiana State University’s energy systems has been delayed amid controversy over negotiations with two companies closely tied to the university. (The Advocate)

PIPELINES: Opponents of the Mountain Valley Pipeline hope that President-elect Joe Biden’s administration will contribute to the long-delayed project’s demise amid regulatory and legal obstacles. (Roanoke Times)

EFFICIENCY: Kentucky replaces 18,000 roadside lights with LEDs, which will reduce energy consumption by more than half. (Spectrum News 1)

COMMENTARY:
• Florida lawmakers and executives must take action, including passing a carbon tax, to counteract the disastrous effects of climate change, writes a newspaper editorial board. (Daytona Beach News-Journal)
• A clean energy advocate previews climate and energy bills that Virginia lawmakers will consider during their shortened 2021 legislative session. (Virginia Mercury)