Duke receives licenses to build two nuclear reactors in Florida

NUCLEAR:
• Duke Energy receives federal licenses to build and operate two reactors in Florida. (New Service of Florida)
• Odds grow longer for a South Carolina plant designed to mix weapons-grade plutonium with natural uranium for commercial reactors. (Aiken Standard)

SOLAR:
• New research at Clemson University shows where the biggest payback is for solar systems in South Carolina. (American Association for the Advancement of Science)
• Community solar projects by cooperatives signal a new phase for solar’s growth in Georgia. (PV Magazine)
• Two solar cooperatives – one in Northern Virginia, the other near Orlando, Florida – launch to offer rooftop solar systems with bulk-purchase discounts. (Loudoun Now, Florida Today)
• New net metering rules help draw a crowd to a solar forum in Mississippi. (Mississippi Public Broadcasting)

COAL ASH: Newly-released data show arsenic and other heavy metals far exceeding federal standards have been found in groundwater near Georgia Power ash ponds. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

PIPELINES:
• Two years after the rupture of a petroleum pipeline in South Carolina, an environmental law firm serves notice of legal action over its failed cleanup. (The Herald)
• The EPA seeks senior staff talks with federal energy regulators for deeper reviews of proposed natural gas pipelines. (Greenwire)

UTILITIES: Dominion Virginia Power said customers used more power this summer than in any period since 2005 due to ​“persistent hot and humid weather.” (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

BATTERIES: A University of Alabama researcher designs a system to store solar-generated electricity in batteries for a building to operate independent of the grid. (Tech Alabama)

CLIMATE: A citizens’ forum at the University of Georgia outlines a system where companies pay a fee for the fossil fuel they burn then return that money to families. (Athens Banner-Herald)

COMMENTARY:
• A Florida Power & Light remediation plan is flawed and won’t solve pollution problems at its Turkey Point nuclear plant. (Southern Alliance for Clean Energy)
• Amendment 1 enables utilities to kill solar in Florida. (Ocala StarBanner)
• It’s time for Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe to demonstrate real leadership on how Dominion manages its coal ash. (Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star)
• Growth in renewable energy and energy efficiency are key to sustainable economic growth in Southwest Virginia. (Roanoke Times)