Florida and Texas lead in record solar manufacturing boom

SOLAR: Florida installed 2.7 GW of new solar capacity and Texas 2.6 GW in the first quarter of 2024, leading the U.S. in a record-breaking quarter that saw a 71% increase in solar manufacturing capacity from late 2023. (PV Magazine)

ALSO: A new report finds Texas is set to more than double its solar capacity to nearly 80 GW by 2030. (San Antonio Express-News)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Kia debuts a new electric SUV — the first electric vehicle manufactured in Georgia, where a slew of electric vehicle and battery-related plants are under construction. (Columbus Ledger-Enquirer)
• Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear defends the growing electric vehicle industry against Republican critics, arguing the jobs produced by projects such as Ford’s construction of battery factories outweigh political rhetoric. (Associated Press)
• The U.S. EPA awards Florida $30.4 million to purchase 98 electric buses for six school districts. (Tallahassee Democrat)

OIL & GAS:

• Developers respond to Texas’ new $10 billion loan program by proposing to add more than 55 GW of natural gas-fired power, which would nearly double the state power grid’s current gas capacity. (Houston Chronicle)
• A Florida conservation group sues to block state regulators from permitting an exploratory oil well upstream of Apalachicola Bay. (Tallahassee Democrat)
• South Carolina officials consider the cleanup of a historically Black community plagued by pollution and dumping linked to a gas plant. (WYFF)

NUCLEAR:

• As the Biden administration moves to boost nuclear deployment, industry experts and officials who led Georgia’s over-budget, long-delayed Plant Vogtle construction warn against building new large reactors. (Utility Dive, Bloomberg)
• Dominion Energy officials say the utility’s $1.2 billion plan to extend the life of two half-century old nuclear power plants in Virginia is on schedule and on budget, although the process is more complicated than they anticipated. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

COAL: Congressional Democrats announce legislation to restart a study of how surface mining affects health in central Appalachia. (E&E News, subscription)

EFFICIENCY: A Kentucky utility rolls out nine energy efficiency programs, with more set to come before 2026. (Louisville Courier Journal)

CYBERSECURITY: The University of Arkansas participates in a multi-partner initiative to fortify the cybersecurity of solar inverters. (news release)

UTILITIES:

• An official in a Florida community calls for the removal of the trustees of an energy cooperative because of rate increases tied to conversion to LED technology and a sharp spike in pole rental rates. (Villages-News)
• Energy justice advocates file testimony with Florida regulators calling on Florida Power & Light to double or triple its energy conservation goals beyond what its current proposal. (E&E News, subscription)

COMMENTARY:

• In Virginia, a Republican cabinet official and the Democratic Senate majority leader debate Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s attempt to unilaterally dismantle a state law tying it to California’s strict vehicle emission standards. (Cardinal News)
• The CEO of a coal advocacy group suggests Texas should lean on its coal-fired power plants to hold up the grid when demand spikes this summer. (Real Clear Energy)