How Virginia is electrifying school buses without state funding

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Virginia schools have used federal funding, public-private partnerships and direct purchases to become the state with fourth highest number of electric school buses despite limited state funding for bus electrification. (Energy News Network)

ALSO:

• A group of workers partner with the United Auto Workers to organize an Alabama Mercedes-Benz plant that makes some electric vehicle models, and say 30% of workers there have already signed union cards. (Alabama Reflector)
• As the United Auto Workers try to organize auto plants in Alabama, Tennessee and elsewhere in the South, an author and professor discusses why the union’s previous efforts to unionize the South failed. (WWNO)
• A rural Tennessee town is transformed as Ford builds a massive electric vehicle plant nearby. (Broadside/​WUNC)
• A Kentucky school district purchases 23 electric school buses with a $9 million grant from the U.S. EPA. (WSAZ)

SOLAR:

• After establishing a game-changing solar panel factory in Georgia in 2019, Qcells nears completion of a second, arguably more ambitious plant that will feature the country’s first fully integrated supply chain for solar manufacturing. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
• Charlotte, North Carolina, pays for construction of a solar farm on 537 acres as it looks to eliminate carbon emissions at all city-owned buildings by 2030. (WCNC)
• A Georgia county considers increasing setbacks and requiring buffers for solar farms. (WGAU)
• A South Carolina county approves a 41 MW Duke Energy solar farm. (Clinton Chronicle)

OIL & GAS:

• A state-commissioned South Carolina study questions plans to build a large natural-gas plant, saying the state-owned Santee Cooper utility should instead consider using more solar and battery power. (The State)
• Investigators and environmental groups eye the growing number of natural gas-related explosions, including a recent Texas hotel explosion that initially appears to have been gas-related. (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)

FINANCE: An investigation finds that half the funds banned by Texas for ​“boycotting” fossil fuel industries actually invested a combined $5 billion directly into oil and gas, and two thirds of such funds have more than $13 billion invested in Texas-based companies. (Bloomberg)

STORAGE: An energy company begins operation of a 150 MW battery storage system in Texas. (Houston Chronicle)

GRID:

• Texas’ grid manager announces a weather watch as it prepares for extreme cold weather next week. (Austin American-Statesman)
• The Tennessee Valley Authority enters the winter storm season having invested $123 million to harden its coal, gas and hydroelectric plants and $120 million in additional fleet improvements since it suffered rolling blackouts in late 2022. (Commercial Appeal)

CLIMATE: Data shows the average temperature in 2023 was Texas’ hottest ever, clocking 3.5 degrees above the average for the 20th century. (Texas Tribune)

COMMENTARY:

• Florida’s energy regulators need better oversight, but utility-backed state legislation could instead reduce accountability and transparency, writes a climate activist. (The Invading Sea/​Miami Herald)
• A columnist considers the relative stability of Jacksonville, Florida’s municipal utility as federal prosecutors pursue the trial of former executives for allegedly misleading its board several years ago in an apparent attempt to privatize the utility. (Florida Times-Union)
• Researchers find that investment in renewables within Texas lawmakers’ districts hasn’t broken partisan patterns in voting on bills to hamper renewables and boost fossil fuels. (Heatmap)