New Virginia law finally brings shared solar to coal country

SOLAR: A new Virginia law will expand community solar into the state’s western coal country, and create an opportunity for regulators to revisit how utilities charge customers for it. (Energy News Network)

ALSO:

• Korean company Qcells begins production at its new solar module factory in Georgia, qualifying it to receive $140 million in federal tax credits. (Korea Economic Daily, Korea Herald)
• A Vietnamese company chooses North Carolina for the site of its first solar cell and module factory in the U.S. due to tax credits, available land, and a nearby university and workforce training programs. (Carolina Public Press)
• A company opens a factory in Texas to manufacture its nailable solar shingles. (Solar Builder)
• A company begins operation of a 208 MW solar farm in Texas with 80 MW of battery storage. (Electrek)

GRID: Experts and environmental groups suggest Virginia adopt a special electric rate for distributed energy producers to connect to the grid, which would spread costs and resolve an ongoing disagreement between Dominion Energy and small solar developers over interconnection costs. (Inside Climate News)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: More than 5,000 workers at an Alabama Mercedes-Benz plant consider joining the United Auto Workers ahead of a pivotal vote next week, in a part of the state that also saw a recent two-year strike against a coal company. (NPR)

OIL & GAS: A failed oil well that contaminated an Oklahoma family’s farm stands as one example of their potential damage and the discrepancy between federal money budgeted for cleanup against the true cost of plugging such wells. (ProPublica/​Capital and Main)

PIPELINES: Federal officials have remained quiet about last week’s rupture of the Mountain Valley Pipeline during pressure testing with water, as federal regulators consider whether to grant permission to place the project in service. (West Virginia Public Broadcasting; E&E News, subscription)

OVERSIGHT: Legislation to revamp oversight of energy projects to fast-track a natural gas-fired power plant remains stalled in the South Carolina legislature as a Thursday deadline looms. (WIS)

CLEAN ENERGY: Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin considers whether to sign legislation to create a state ​“clean energy innovation bank” after the state legislature rejected his amendments. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

EFFICIENCY: A climate group expands in Virginia to assist improve energy efficiency in the business community, which is responsible for about 28% of the state’s annual greenhouse gas emissions. (Virginia Mercury)

WIND: Dominion Energy pushes back against a lawsuit by conservative groups to stall construction of its offshore wind farm near Virginia. (WVEC)

CLIMATE: Mangrove trees spread northward along the Texas coast as climate change pushes temperatures higher, adding protection against erosion and rising seas but displacing marsh habitats and leaving shorelines more vulnerable if they freeze and die. (Texas Tribune)