Duke withdraws request to use coal additives that posed risk to water

COAL: Duke Energy has withdrawn a request to add chemicals at several coal-fired plants that reduces air pollution but caused an increase in contaminants in Charlotte’s drinking water. (Charlotte Observer)

ALSO: Louisville Gas & Electric has released a map showing a worst-case scenario flooding from a contaminated ash pond. (Courier-Journal)

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NATURAL GAS: Pittsburgh-based EQT Corp. will become the largest U.S. natural gas producer after agreeing to buy holdings in the Marcellus shale in Appalachia. (Bloomberg)

SOLAR:
• A California solar developer dismissed complaints against Duke Energy that the company established contracts for larger utility-scale projects that made financing impossible. (Charlotte Business Journal)
• Meanwhile, new complaints accuse two Duke utilities of stalling grid connections for solar projects. (Triangle Business Journal)
• Florida Power & Light will build and maintain solar ​“trees” throughout Fort Myers at no cost to the city. (News-Press)

NUCLEAR: As the future of nuclear power is being questioned following troubled projects in Georgia and South Carolina, Energy Secretary Rick Perry says it is ​“a very important part” of an all-of-the-above energy strategy. (CNBC)

OIL & GAS: The Virginia Beach City Council plans to vote in opposition to offshore oil and gas exploration after taking a neutral stance and opposing it in years past. (Virginian-Pilot)

POLITICS: Over the past decade, campaign contributions from two large environmental groups, primarily during the 2013 Virginia governor’s race, exceeded Dominion Energy’s total; but the utility is the larger donor in the 2017 cycle. (News Leader)

COMMENTARY:
• FERC is scheduled to release its final environmental impact statement on the proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline on Friday and a newspaper editorial board has two big questions about the project. (Roanoke Times)
• Announcements to install solar panels at schools and construct a new large-scale solar farm show that Virginia is moving toward renewable energy sources, despite the Trump administration. (Daily Press)