Late and over budget, Georgia’s nuclear expansion is finally complete

NUCLEAR: After seven years of delays and $21 billion in cost overruns, Georgia Power’s $30 billion expansion of nuclear Plant Vogtle finally reaches commercial operation — but its problems are pushing other nuclear operators away from large facilities toward smaller designs. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution; Wall Street Journal, subscription)

WIND: Dominion Energy’s planned $9.8 billion offshore wind farm near Virginia remains on track to begin producing power by 2026 as the utility starts installing monopiles. (Virginia Business)

SOLAR:

• The success of a cooperative solar farm built in 2017 inspires a Kentucky electric cooperative’s plans to build two new solar facilities totaling 130 MW. (WDKY)
• A Vietnamese company announces plans to build a solar cell and module factory in North Carolina. (PV Tech)
• A Wisconsin firm announces plans to spend $459 million to acquire a 300 MW solar farm under construction in Texas. (BizTimes Milwaukee)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Workers at a Tennessee Volkswagen plant that recently voted to unionize begin electing a team to bargain with the company. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)

OIL & GAS:

• West Virginia regulators approve a siting certificate for a planned 2,060 MW natural gas-fired power plant with carbon capture. (WV Metro News)
• The Tennessee Valley Authority’s plans to build a natural gas-fired power plant and 12-mile pipeline in Tennessee spark discussion of how methane contributes to climate change. (WSMV)
• Entergy announces it will replace a Mississippi power plant with a newer, more energy efficient natural gas-fired plant. (Star-Herald, subscription)

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE: Years of toxic emissions from a sterilization plant in Memphis, Tennessee, contributed to what Black residents say is a ​“cesspool of pollution” burdening low-income neighborhoods populated largely by racial and ethnic minorities. (Commercial Appeal)

CLIMATE: Officials at the Port of Virginia prepare for flooding as Norfolk is predicted to see up to 3 feet of sea level rise by 2050. (Virginia Business)

UTILITIES: Dozens of customers complain about the likelihood of higher bills and Duke Energy’s reliance on natural gas during the third of four public hearings about the utility’s plan to comply with North Carolina’s emissions reduction goals. (WWAY)

GRID:

• Virginia, Georgia and Arkansas are among the states considering new restrictions on the data center industry amid residents’ concerns about noise and power lines required to support their energy needs. (Washington Post)
• Google’s announcement of a $1 billion plan to expand data centers in Virginia leads to a debate over the sector’s appetite for electricity and how it could affect the regional grid. (WRIC)

COMMENTARY:

• A southern Virginia resident worries too many solar farms are being built on rural farmland, while the founder of a conservative energy nonprofit blames opposition to rural solar development on ​“not-in-my-backyard” concerns. (Cardinal News)
• Two pipeline companies seeking to build Gulf Coast pipelines along the route of a previously built pipeline raise legitimate safety concerns by skirting regulatory oversight, writes the president of a policy research organization. (Real Clear Energy)