Despite Kemper failure, lawmakers pursue tax credits for carbon capture

CARBON CAPTURE: On the heels of the Kemper plant failure, a bipartisan group of 25 senators, including West Virginia’s Shelley Moore Capito, plans to introduce a bill to strengthen tax credits for carbon capture and storage projects. (Washington Post)

COAL:
• The North Carolina DEQ announced it will organize a science advisory board to make recommendations, after its new standards for drinking water contaminants have faced criticism from hundreds of people who live near Duke Energy plants. (Progressive Pulse)
• North Carolina residents say Duke Energy shouldn’t ​“pass their mistakes on to the land owner” after the electric company asks regulators to allow it to charge consumers for the cleanup of coal ash. (Roanoke Times)
• A federal appeals court upheld more than $1 million in fines ordered against one of West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice’s coal companies for unpaid bills. (Associated Press)
• National Public Radio examines what can bring jobs to coal country. (NPR)

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GRID: A conservation group is asking the U.S. District Court to block the Army Corps of Engineers permit that allows Dominion Energy to build a power line across the James River in Virginia. (Daily Press)

WIND: Appalachian Power says acquiring two wind farms should benefit the company thanks to tax credits and a reduced reliance on outside energy purchases. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)

WEST VIRGINIA: West Virginia’s tax collections from natural gas, coal and oil production in June again exceeded estimates, showing a rebound in the state’s energy sector. (Associated Press)

NATURAL GAS:
• The Sierra Club objects to Florida Power & Light’s plans to replace its aging Lauderdale Plant with an updated natural gas plant, saying the utility should be exploring renewable energy options. (Palm Beach Post)
• The Tennessee Valley Authority’s Paradise natural gas plant in Kentucky is now in operation. (14 News)

OIL & GAS: A member of the New Orleans city council wants to join six other parishes that have filed lawsuits against oil and gas companies for damaging wetlands. (Times-Picayune)

CLIMATE: The number of coastal communities affected by significant flooding from rising sea levels is expected to nearly double in less than 20 years, leaving ​“tough decisions” for local governments. (National Geographic, Bloomberg)

COMMENTARY:
• The Trump administration wants to expand drilling off Florida’s coast ​“despite no demonstrable need for the oil.” (Herald-Tribune)
• Attempts to open U.S. coasts to offshore drilling will be met with a fight, as the federal government puts ​“oil industry profits over people yet again.” (NRDC)