Ian gathers strength as it turns for the Carolinas

HURRICANE IAN: Ian regains hurricane status as it crosses into the Atlantic Ocean and heads for South Carolina after leaving a trail of devastation across Florida. (Associated Press)

ALSO:
• Florida begins to dig out of the wreckage left by Hurricane Ian, including a still-uncertain number of deaths and damage estimates ranging from $30 billion to $50 billion dollars. (Politico)
• Florida utilities work to restore power to hundreds of thousands of state residents. (WFLA)
• Hurricane Ian tests Florida’s recent investments in resilience and storm preparedness, while also revealing Gov. Ron DeSantis’ failure to take action to mitigate climate change. (Christian Science Monitor, New Republic)
• An Appalachian Virginian county that’s already suffered severe flooding this year prepares for heavy rain from Ian’s remnants. (WCYB)

SOLAR:
• Mississippi’s utilities begin to pivot to solar with the completion of recent utility-scale projects by Entergy and Mississippi Power. (Mississippi Business Journal)
• A Mississippi county official approves construction of a 200 MW solar farm. (WCBI)
• Austin, Texas’ municipal energy sees a growing number of rooftop solar systems among its customers, even though they’re compensated with bill credits and not payments. (KTBC)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: The Tennessee Valley Authority takes a regional approach to building electric vehicle chargers in its seven-state service area. (WDEF)

WIND: Wind energy boosters look to turn coastal Virginia into a supply chain hub for the developing offshore wind industry. (Virginia Business)

COAL: A coal company expands its Kentucky operations as it says it sees ​“growing demand.” (Associated Press)

RENEWABLES: A Dallas-based renewable energy company that’s developed 8.7 GW of power at 37 projects sells to Canadian energy company Enbridge. (Dallas Morning News, subscription)

OIL & GAS:
• Florida experiences gasoline shortages in the wake of Hurricane Ian because the storm temporarily blocked shippers from delivering supplies. (S&P Global)
• Oil and gas drilling continues to grow in Southeastern basins, with many oil industry officials expecting natural gas prices to drop if the Russia-Ukraine conflict is resolved and European demand levels. (Natural Gas Intelligence)

GRID:
• Louisiana utilities eye federal relief money approved in a new budget bill as they rebuild the electrical grid from damage sustained during Hurricane Ida last year. (The Advocate)
• Hurricane Ian begins causing power outages in Georgia and South Carolina’s Lowcountry as regional utilities prepare for more. (WJCL, WCSC)

OVERSIGHT: Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson appoints a new chair to head the board that regulates state utilities. (Arkansas Business)

POLITICS: Virginia’s membership in a regional carbon market has generated more than $200 million for flood protection, but its future is uncertain amid Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s efforts to withdraw the state from the initiative. (Virginia Mercury)

COMMENTARY:
• Memphis, Tennessee’s city council should leverage its decision whether to remain with the Tennessee Valley Authority to press TVA to shift toward renewables and stop trucking coal ash through city neighborhoods, writes a community activist. (Commercial Appeal)
• Virginia’s membership in a regional carbon market provides much-needed funding to make communities more resilient against flooding, writes a Democratic state senator. (Virginian-Pilot)
• The failure of energy permitting legislation doesn’t end the Mountain Valley Pipeline, but does serve as a warning for other energy companies against attempting such ambitious fossil fuel projects, writes an energy pundit. (CleanTechnica)