Enviros release platform to address unreclaimed ​“zombie mines”

COAL: Environmental groups release a policy platform to address nearly one million acres of idled, unreclaimed ​“zombie mines” in 12 states in Appalachia and elsewhere. (Daily Yonder)

ALSO: A judge orders West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice’s coal companies to surrender a hotly contested helicopter to partially settle a $10 million debt. (West Virginia Public Broadcasting)

PIPELINES:

• The head of Virginia’s environmental regulatory agency previously worked for a consulting group linked to the Mountain Valley Pipeline, leading to criticism from anti-pipeline activists. (Roanoke Times)
• Pipeline giant Williams plans a public meeting to discuss the construction of 26 miles of 42-inch pipeline in Virginia, part of a much larger expansion of its Transco network. (Cardinal News)

OIL & GAS:

• South Carolina regulators approved a plan by Dominion Energy and state-owned utility Santee Cooper to build a natural gas-fired power plant to replace a coal plant, but state lawmakers are still set to weigh in with two related bills. (Inside Climate News)
• Activists use a variety of tactics to fight construction of a Texas liquefied natural gas export terminal that eventually could produce 27 million metric tons of LNG per year. (Canary Media)

WIND:

• Despite problems that have beset planned offshore wind farms along the East Coast, Duke Energy is still moving forward with plans to develop a 1.6 GW wind farm off North Carolina. (Wilmington StarNews)
• Virginia Beach residents complain that construction of the onshore portion of Dominion Energy’s offshore wind farm is causing disruptions in a neighborhood. (WTKR)

NUCLEAR: Georgia Power connects a new unit at nuclear Plant Vogtle to the grid, marking another milestone in the facility’s long-delayed expansion. (Power Technology, news release)

SOLAR: A Virginia museum dedicated to the Tudor period has been using a 146 kW solar system, which officials there say aligns with ​“16th-century self-sufficiency.” (Style Weekly)

EFFICIENCY: Florida lawmakers are poised to pass legislation to add consumer protections to a program to help homeowners pay for solar panels and weatherization that’s been plagued by complaints about its lack of transparency. (Miami Herald)

CLIMATE:

• Firefighters continue to battle what has become Texas’ largest ever wildfire, which has scorched more than 1,900 square miles in Texas and Oklahoma. (Associated Press)
• Texas investigators begin looking into the cause of the fire, as some homeowners blame a downed Xcel Energy power line. (Texas Tribune)
• Insurance premiums are surging in North Carolina and the U.S., even in communities far from the coast or wildfire-prone forests. (NPR)

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE: A White House adviser calls for federal officials to do more to help two historically Black communities in Alabama that have been inundated by repeated flooding and sewage problems. (Inside Climate News)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Virginia lawmakers advance legislation to help pay for construction of electric vehicle charging stations in rural areas. (Virginia Mercury)
• West Virginia regulators conduct a meeting to gather public input on the state’s plan for electric vehicle infrastructure. (WCHS)

UTILITIES:

• Experts and activists question Georgia Power’s request to build more power generation to address higher-than-expected power demand from data centers and other businesses. (Georgia Recorder)
• At least a dozen states are considering laws to limit how utilities can spend customers’ money on lobbying, charitable giving and other expenses. (States Newsroom)

COMMENTARY: A columnist criticizes Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry not just for filling his administration with fossil fuel officials, but for shifting a coastal protection agency to the department in charge of oil and gas development. (NOLA.com)