Court upholds limit on water pollution by coal operators

COAL: A federal appeals court upholds a ruling by a federal judge in West Virginia that coal operators must limit water pollution of streams. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)

ALSO:
• The Stream Protection Rule is high on the list of regulations the Republican-controlled Congress is set to repeal. (The Hill)
• A rural power cooperative in Mississippi withdraws its 15% ownership in the Kemper ​“clean coal” plant which now is expected to begin operating by month’s end. (Mississippi Business Journal, WDAM)
• TechHire Eastern Kentucky helps a 40-year-old former miner find a new job. (WYMT)

COAL ASH: An environmental group cites a possible spill of ash into a river in North Carolina as the latest evidence Duke Energy needs strict oversight. (Charlotte Business Journal)

SOLAR:
• Virginia issues permits for two 20-megawatt solar farms. (Virginia Business)
• A county on North Carolina’s Outer Banks approves a 60-day moratorium on new solar farms. (The Outer Banks Voice)
• Bulk-purchasing co-ops launch in Sarasota and Alachua County, Florida. (WUSF Public Media, Gainesville Sun)
• A pecan shelling company in Georgia invests in a 1-megawatt solar farm to better control its electricity costs. (Coastal Courier)
• A beer distributor near Fort Myers, Florida turns on a 1 megawatt rooftop solar system. (WINK)

OFFSHORE DRILLING: A business alliance urges President Obama to deny requests for seismic testing off the Atlantic Coast from Virginia to Florida. (Coastal Review Online)

NATURAL GAS: A natural gas services company in West Virginia acquires a gas producer in Virginia. (WAJR)

COMMENTARY:
• Three ideas on how to help fix Virginia’s coalfields. (The Roanoke Times)
• Will Kentucky regulators save coal at taxpayers’ expense? (Richmond Register)
• The TVA should embrace wind power. (The Tennessean)
• A proposal to tighten rules on home natural gas furnaces is not justified by the facts. (The Daily Signal)