Coal baron’s defense attorneys rest their case without calling witnesses

BLANKENSHIP TRIAL: Surprising many legal experts, attorneys for ex-coal CEO Don Blankenship rested their case without calling any witnesses. (The New York Times)

CLEAN POWER PLAN:
• Republicans in the Virginia General Assembly file a bill that would prohibit the state from implementing the Clean Power Plan without legislative approval. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
• Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is moving to tap a rarely-used law to block the plan’s implementation. (The Hill)

INVESTMENT CAPITAL: A Charlotte firm is succeeding in raising money for multiple clean energy funds with almost $40 million secured thus far. (Charlotte Business Journal)

SOLAR: The parent company of Dominion Virginia Power acquires an 80 megawatt solar system under development on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. (Virginia Business)

CLIMATE: Local actions to fight climate change in the Miami area are setting an example for the world. (The Atlantic)

WIND: Wind advocates are quick to answer questions as Iberdrola Renewables begins building the first utility-scale wind farm in North Carolina for Amazon. (Southern Alliance for Clean Energy)

COAL: Mississippi’s utility commission staff reaches an agreement with Mississippi Power for a 15% rate hike to pay for the Kemper coal gasification plant. (Northeast Mississippi Daily)

ALTERNATIVE FUELS:
• Toyota’s Kentucky manufacturing plant soon will be turning trash into electricity by burning methane from a nearby dump. (Associated Press)
• Methane from a landfill in Wake County, North Carolina now fuels 4.5 megawatts of electricity. (WTVD-TV, Raleigh)

OIL & GAS: A North Carolina county unanimously approves a two-year moratorium on oil and gas development. (RockinghamNow.com)

POLITICS: Republican presidential candidates are cooling their talk about a ​“war on coal” in part because it doesn’t resonate with young voters. (The Hill)

COMMENTARY: Determining the value of solar in the absence of the federal Investment Tax Credit is crucial for solar’s growth. (Greentech Media)