Floods could threaten coal ash ponds in North Carolina

COAL ASH:
• Record floods in North Carolina threaten two Duke Energy ash ponds but the utility says they are in ​“very good shape.” (ThinkProgress)
• Georgia Power says it’s recycling about 50 percent of its ash and will close all of its remaining ash ponds within three years. (Albany Herald)

NATURAL GAS: The developer of a Jacksonville, Florida terminal to export liquefied natural gas says it has the contracts in place to begin construction. (Marine Link)

***SPONSORED LINK: The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy will host a webinar/Q&A October 19 at 10 a.m. EDT featuring info and new tools designed to help communities and advocates fight coal ash threats in the Southeast. Register here.***

CLIMATE: Extreme weather and rising sea levels may be moving lawmakers towards bipartisan solutions in Florida. (FastCoExist.com)

NUCLEAR:
• Georgia regulators are expected Oct. 19 to pass along $1.7 billion in cost overruns to Georgia Power customers for the construction of two reactors. (Flagpole)
• Federal regulators authorize the restart of a nuclear reactor in Florida shut down as a precaution ahead of Hurricane Matthew. (Vero Beach Press Journal)

SOLAR:
• An activist uses his solar-powered boat to urge residents along Florida’s Intracoastal waterway to vote against the state’s solar Amendment 1. (WLRN)
• One year into Duke Energy’s solar rebate in South Carolina, customers champion the savings. (GwdToday.com)
• How a tax break for Virginia farmers buying into solar could backfire. (Bacon’s Rebellion)
• A trout farmer in North Carolina cuts his energy costs with a solar system. (Asheville Citizen-Times)

COAL:
• A security analyst resumes evaluating Arch Coal for its ability to profitably supply coal from mines in Appalachia to make steel. (Platts)
• A Mississippi man challenges a water permit needed by the Kemper ​“clean coal” power plant. (SunHerald)
• Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky, refuses to commit to a bill that would preserve miners’ pensions and health benefits. (Associated Press)

PIPELINES:
• A former utility executive residing in Virginia calls for closer scrutiny of federal permitting for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. (NewsLeader)
• Local police are caught in the middle over the rights of property owners when surveyors try to map routes for proposed pipelines. (WSLS)

EFFICIENCY: LED-bulb maker Cree confirms a ​“small number” of layoffs at its Durham, North Carolina headquarters. (Triangle Business Journal)

POLITICS: A non-profit assesses the North Carolina Attorney General – and Democratic nominee for governor – Roy Cooper’s record on energy. (Southern Alliance for Clean Energy)

UTILITIES: Duke Energy is lauded for its domestic capital investments for the third year in a row. (Charlotte Business Journal)

COMMENTARY:
• Another newspaper recommends voting against Florida’s solar Amendment 1. (Palm Beach Post)
• How is it that a coal baron can credibly run for governor of West Virginia while owing nearly $3 million in taxes, severance and mine safety penalties in six states? (Grist)