Florida mayors want climate questions during this week’s presidential debates

CLIMATE: Mayors of 21 Florida cities call on moderators of this week’s presidential debates in Miami to ask how candidates would mitigate rising sea levels. (Reuters)

SOLAR:
• A battle over the future of solar in North Carolina heats up. (DeSmogBlog)
• A Georgia solar company plots to expand on system it’s building for the Navy with Mississippi Power. (Atlanta Business Chronicle)

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COAL ASH:
• North Carolina cites Duke Energy for leaks at 13 coal ash sites. (Greensboro News & Record)
• Another North Carolina community protests plans by Duke Energy to dispose of ash at a nearby landfill. (Anson Record)

COAL:
• 60 Minutes looks back on the influence of coal mine boss Don Blankenship and the 2010 Upper Big Branch mine explosion. (CBS)
• A bill in the Kentucky Senate would halt state mine safety inspections, leaving the task to federal inspectors. (Lexington Herald-Leader)

NUCLEAR: The Oconee plant in South Carolina shuts down after a transformer catches fire. (Reuters)

EFFICIENCY:
• Duke Energy’s merging of efficiency programs from its 2012 acquisition of Progress Energy positions it to achieve record gains. (Southern Alliance for Clean Energy)
• A Mississippi school district touts efficiency investments designed to pay for themselves out of energy savings. (Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal)

LIGHTING: North Carolina LED-bulb manufacturer Cree moves to produce ​“warmer” street lights. (Raleigh News & Observer)

OFFSHORE DRILLING: Coastal South Carolina residents fear offshore drilling could permanently alter their lifestyles and local businesses. (The State)

UTILITIES:
• The head of Duke Energy’s operations in Florida explains how the company is trying to improve customer satisfaction. (Tampa Bay Times)
• Entergy’s purchase of an Arkansas power plant raises questions over whether electricity rates will increase for customer in Louisiana. (New Orleans Times-Picayune)

LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS: The Energy Information Administration warns the future for LNG exports from new terminals, including one in Louisiana, is clouded by low prices. (Houston Chronicle)

PIPELINES:
• A survey paid for by pipeline companies shows support for new pipelines in West Virginia. (MetroNews)
• A small Virginia town could become a key hub for the planned Atlantic Coast Pipeline. (South Boston News & Record)

KENTUCKY: The disposal of out-of-state radioactive waste from oil drilling operations is shaping up as a key test for Gov. Matt Bevin. (Louisville Courier-Journal)

COMMENTARY:
• Florida’s Supreme Court hears oral arguments this morning whether utilities are misleading voters with a proposed Constitutional amendment. (Mother Jones)
• The case for using taxpayer dollars in Virginia to prop up the rapidly declining coal industry is growing weaker. (The Virginia-Pilot)
• The Louisiana coast is showing signs of a continued recovery from the 2010 BP oil spill. (New Orleans Times-Picayune)