Doctor: Duke pressured North Carolina on coal ash warning

COAL ASH: A North Carolina epidemiologist says Duke Energy used its connections in state government to try to override health recommendations on water near coal ash ponds. (Winston-Salem Journal)

ALSO:
• Alabama, Georgia and Florida are failing to regulate coal ash under new federal rules, says a regional environmental group. (Southern Alliance for Clean Energy)
• Commissioners in Anson County, North Carolina prepare to block any ash headed its way. (Anson Record)
• Dominion Virginia Power tries to assure the media and public its dumping of ash wastewater into large creek in northern Virginia is safe. (Prince William Times)

***SPONSORED LINK: Register now for WINDPOWER 2016 – the wind energy industry’s largest annual conference, May 23-26 in New Orleans. Register here. ***

RENEWABLES:
• Dominion Virginia Power links up with a new Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance aimed at helping utilities meet growing corporate demand for clean power. (GreenBiz)
• A bill in the North Carolina Senate to add regulatory and permit requirements appears to going nowhere, for now. (Charlotte Business Journal)
• Thought leaders in West Virginia gather to focus on job-creating opportunities in renewable sources of electricity. (The Herald-Dispatch)

OIL & GAS:
• The Obama administration issues the first regulations designed to cut methane emissions. (New York Times)
• More than 88,000 gallons of crude oil spill into the Gulf of Mexico south of Louisiana due to a leak that has been capped. (New Orleans Times-Picayune)

SOLAR:
• Nowhere is the divide between advocates and utilities over solar’s value more stark than in the Southeast. (Utility Dive)
• What would be the largest rooftop solar system in Tennessee is planned for a new IKEA store in Memphis. (The Chattanoogan)

FRACKING: St. Petersburg, Florida prepares to pass an anti-fracking ordinance by June. (Saint Peters Blog)

COAL: The federal government challenges Alpha Natural Resources’ restructuring plan signaling it ignores the possibility it may need to liquidate. (SNL)

GRID:
• A national non-profit applauds South Carolina and two other states for ​“much improved” interconnection standards for renewable energy systems. (Interstate Renewable Energy Council)
• Utilities push back against a federal proposal to allow private citizens to sue parties seen as trying to manipulate power markets via regional grids that include several Southeast states. (EnergyWire, SNL)

UTILITIES:
• Florida-based NextEra Energy reportedly has renewed interest in acquiring power delivery company Oncor. (Bloomberg)
• Dominion Resources unveils a plan for a new LEED-certified headquarters complex in Richmond, Virginia. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

OFFSHORE DRILLING: An expert answers questions about seismic testing off the coast of North Carolina. (Coastal Review)

***SPONSORED LINK: Register today for Solar Power Southeast, May 25-26 in Atlanta. This year’s event will include educational sessions as well as a completely sold out exhibit floor. Get a 15% discount with code SPSE16SACE. ***

EFFICIENCY: The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s ​“zero-energy” Brock Center in Virginia is formally declared a ​“living building” by the International Living Future Institute. (Virginian-Pilot)

COMMENTARY:
• A proposed offer of 100% renewable electricity for Virginia customers of Appalachian Power heeds demand but also blocks competition. (Power for the People VA blog)
• A cry for coal ash relief in North Carolina. (Raleigh News & Observer)