Feds finalize silica rule amid black lung epidemic

COAL: Federal mine safety regulators publish the final version of a rule to protect coal miners from exposure to silica dust, a key ingredient in an epidemic of severe, incurable and fatal black lung disease. (Public Health Watch/​Louisville Public Media)

ALSO: The insatiable power needs of Virginia’s rapidly growing data centers lead to plans to build additional power lines from aging coal fired-power plants in West Virginia. (Washington Post)

OVERSIGHT: South Carolina state senators speak out against a wide-ranging bill to revamp state regulation of utilities to fast-track a gas plant, warning it rolls back reforms passed after a nuclear plant debacle. (Associated Press)

UTILITIES: Georgia regulators approve Georgia Power’s plan to purchase power and build more natural gas-fired plants to meet rapidly growing power demand, discarding opponents’ concerns about rate hikes and climate change. (Georgia Recorder, Associated Press)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Workers at Volkswagen’s Tennessee plant begin voting whether to join the United Auto Workers. (Chattanooga Times Free Press, subscription)
• Amid the United Auto Workers’ efforts to unionize Southeast auto factories, Alabama lawmakers advance a bill to withdraw state incentives from any company that voluntarily recognizes a union without holding a secret ballot election. (Associated Press)
• Japan’s prime minister visits North Carolina, largely because Toyota is building a $14 billion electric vehicle battery factory there. (WUNC)
• South Carolina transportation officials set 20 public meetings across the state to discuss electric vehicle charging infrastructure. (Columbia Regional Business Report)

GRID: A company’s plan to build a 320-mile transmission line to firm up regional connections to Texas’ independent state grid is running into opposition in both Mississippi and Louisiana. (Grist/​Verite News)

SOLAR:

• A solar panel manufacturer begins operations at a factory near Houston, with plans to double its capacity within 18 months. (Solar Quarter)
• Hailstorm damage to a 350 MW Texas solar farm fuels misinformation about the makeup of solar panels. (PV Magazine)
• An energy company secures financing for a 75 MW solar farm in Florida. (Solar Quarter)
• A clean energy company acquires a solar portfolio that includes solar projects on Virginia schools and the development team of its longtime partner on building such projects. (Renewables Now)

CLEAN ENERGY: A renewables company acquires a 1 GW portfolio of solar and wind projects in Texas, along with an early-stage green ammonia project. (Power Technology)

STORAGE: A West Virginia scientist’s discovery of ​“plenty of lithium” within pyrite, or fool’s gold, could reduce the need for lithium mining and bring new attention to shale formations. (WTVF)

OIL & GAS:

• The head of West Virginia’s natural gas association discusses how fracking has transformed the industry, how the state’s ties to coal delayed gas development, and why the Mountain Valley Pipeline could be one of the last major pipelines to be built. (West Virginia Public Broadcasting)
• A natural gas company sells off a minority stake in shale gas wells in Pennsylvania, which analysts speculate could be a prelude to its sale of the Mountain Valley Pipeline in Virginia and West Virginia. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

CARBON CAPTURE: A professor analyzes data to track whether Virginia’s 133 counties and cities are capable of implementing carbon capture and storage technology. (news release)

COMMENTARY: Virginia lawmakers’ passage of a bill to protect state residents against power shutoffs lays the groundwork for additional work to provide energy equity for low-income families, write two community advocates. (Cardinal News)