Panel recycling plant expected to boost Georgia’s solar industry

SOLAR: An Arizona company announces plans for a $344 million solar panel recycling facility in rural Georgia, which will also manufacture enough glass to supply 5 GW worth of new panels per year. (Associated Press)

ALSO: Virginia lawmakers table separate bills that would have increased the state’s cap on distributed generation and allowed the state to override county rejections of solar farms. (Utility Dive, Suffolk News-Herald)

GRID: ERCOT officials are skeptical of a U.S. House bill to connect Texas’ grid to the rest of the country, suggesting the plan could disincentivize construction of new generation in the state. (E&E News, subscription)

LITHIUM: An inaugural Lithium Innovation Summit in Arkansas attracts more than 700 people, as boosters say the state could meet more than 15% of global demand for the element. (Arkansas Advocate)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Scout Motors, a Volkswagen-backed initiative that aims to build vehicles borrowing the style and nameplate of early SUVs, breaks ground on a $2 billion manufacturing plant in South Carolina. (Associated Press)
• Ford’s BlueOval SK is actively recruiting workers in western Tennessee, saying ​“we want to hire locally.” (Commercial Appeal)
• Duke Energy launches a program to rent out electric vehicle chargers to customers in North Carolina, with rates starting at $14 a month. (news release)
• Mississippi’s first charging station for electric airplanes is installed at a regional airport near Starkville. (Commercial Dispatch)

WIND: Louisiana businesses with expertise in oil and gas extraction are finding opportunities in offshore wind. (Governing)

UTILITIES:

• North Carolina’s attorney general challenges recent Duke Energy rate increases, as advocates say the utility is burdening customers with investments in fossil fuels. (WCNC)
• Southern Company announces its fourth-quarter profits are up by nearly a billion dollars compared to a year ago. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

NUCLEAR: Kentucky lawmakers introduce bills to support development of nuclear energy in the state. (WKMS)

OIL & GAS: Federal regulators approve two projects along the Gulf Coast that are expected to accelerate natural gas exports. (E&E News)

COAL: A federal lawsuit claims a coal company owned by West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice improperly paid millions to settle a bank debt that should have gone to other creditors. (Cardinal News)