FERC rulings could change solar’s path in Southeast

PURPA: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission places new limits on what projects qualify for PURPA, the 1978 federal law meant to create a level playing field for independent energy developers. (Greentech Media)

ALSO: The landmark PURPA law helped fuel solar development in North Carolina and other states, benefiting about one-third of all U.S. solar projects, but many would no longer qualify under the new rules. (Bloomberg)

***SPONSORED LINK: Register today for Veterans Advanced Energy Week, August 10-13, a virtual learning experience dedicated to military veterans and spouses in advanced energy and national security. Learn more at www.vetsenergyproject.org. ***

SOLAR:
• The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission unanimously rejects a petition to declare state solar net metering policies illegal. (Greentech Media)
• A renewables developer will build a 108 MW solar project near Pollocksville, North Carolina, expected to go online in fall of 2021. (Solar Power World)

PIPELINES: A Louisiana appeals court rules that the Bayou Bridge Pipeline ​“trampled” the rights of landowners when the company cut down trees, dug trenches and laid pipeline across properties without permission. (Courthouse News Service)

OIL & GAS:
• Georgia Tech researchers help develop a new membrane technology that could reduce carbon emissions associated with refining crude oil. (EurekaAlert)
• A Fayetteville, Arkansas, electronics manufacturer receives a $1 million federal grant to develop equipment for directional drilling. (Talk Business & Politics)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Tulsa, Oklahoma, officials believe their pitch for a new Tesla factory stacks up well compared to Austin, Texas. (Tulsa World)

***SPONSORED LINK: Join Southern Alliance for Clean Energy & Electrify the South for a free virtual Electric Vehicle test drive to see why so many people are going electric. Learn more & register here: https://www.electrifythesouth.org/events.***

GRID: A Duke Energy spokesman says there are advantages and disadvantages to burying power lines, but cost is a major deterrent. (Winston-Salem Journal)

COMMENTARY:
• A clean energy group supports Florida regulators’ decision to expand energy efficiency programs, though the state should be doing more. (CleanEnergy.org)
• While the Atlantic Coast Pipeline is canceled, other dangerous fossil fuel projects in Virginia are still moving ahead, Food & Water Watch writes.