Developers say solar farm will reinvigorate Kentucky mineland

SOLAR: Officials with an energy company discuss their plans to begin construction in 2026 on an 800 MW solar farm in Kentucky atop a massive former coal mine, saying the project will provide equitable access to renewables and training for ​“future-proof energy jobs” as the coal industry declines. (Yale Climate Connections)

GRID:

• CenterPoint Energy’s $2.3 billion plan to harden its grid infrastructure comes under scrutiny after Hurricane Beryl led to widespread outages and promises by state officials to investigate the utility. (Houston Chronicle)
• CenterPoint spent $800 million on 20 massive generators in 2021, but almost none were deployed in the power outages after Hurricane Beryl because they take days to assemble and can’t be moved without special permits. (Houston Chronicle)
• West Virginia officials celebrate the announcement of a company’s plan to invest $150 million to establish a distribution transformer production plant at a shuttered former steel plant. (West Virginia Watch)
• Texas’ state grid operator begins the search for new power to replace 859 MW of aging gas-fired units owned by San Antonio’s municipal utility, and warns it may block the utility’s plan to decommission those three units if it’s unsuccessful. (Houston Chronicle)
• A supercomputer owned by Elon Musk’s xAI begins training, despite the fact it still does not have a contract with the Tennessee Valley Authority for the 150 MW of power it will eventually need. (Institute for Public Service Reporting Memphis, Commercial Appeal)

PIPELINES:

• A company begins work on a project to replace and double the size of 49 miles of gas pipeline in Virginia despite environmentalists’ opposition. (WHRO)
• The nation’s largest gas producer closes a $5.45 deal to acquire a former subsidiary now that federal regulators have approved the Mountain Valley Pipeline to go into service. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• Mississippi’s highest court agrees to take a case regarding taxes on freight charges for a pipeline company that argues it should be exempt. (Bloomberg, subscription)
• U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans of Virginia withdraws her request for a $7.4 million earmark that would have eventually gone to a for-profit company to build a pipeline. (E&E News, subscription)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: An Alabama community college receives a $2.4 million grant to expand a center to train workers how to install, test, operate and maintain electric vehicle chargers. (news release)

EMISSIONS:

• Environmental groups file a petition with the U.S. EPA questioning Virginia’s issuance of an air permit to a chemical plant. (Virginia Mercury)
• The U.S. EPA awards New Orleans $50 million for bike lanes, energy conservation programs, residential solar installation, and other programs to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. (NOLA.com)

HYDROPOWER: The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma council approves a resolution opposing an Oklahoma energy company’s proposed hydropower project. (news release)

POLITICS: The Democratic governors of Kentucky and North Carolina — both of whom have benefitted from electric vehicle investment linked to federal climate legislation — are among the top contenders to run for vice president with likely presidential candidate Kamala Harris. (E&E News)

COMMENTARY:

• Texas relies too much on crisis response to storms, wildfires and power outages instead of preventative measures that build resilience to protect the grid against extreme weather, writes a journalist. (Texas Monthly)
• The Tennessee Valley Authority should invest in renewables and energy efficiency instead of leaning in on natural gas and expensive nuclear power projects, writes a clean energy advocate. (Southern Alliance for Clean Energy)