Permian Basin braces for massive new pipeline link to Gulf Coast

PIPELINES: The Permian Basin prepares for the launch of Matterhorn Pipeline, which will move 2.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day to south Texas and give producers better access to liquefied natural gas export growth on the Gulf Coast. (Reuters, Midland Reporter-Telegram)

OIL & GAS:

• Landowners and conservationists petition a federal court to block construction of the massive Calcasieu Pass liquified natural gas terminal in Louisiana after the court previously rolled back federal approval of two other LNG facilities in Texas for failing to address their effects on climate and low-income and minority populations. (DeSmog)
• A billionaire pipeline mogul gives $5 million to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in hopes of accelerating his company’s liquified natural gas export facility in Louisiana and fending off challenges to existing projects such as the Dakota Access oil pipeline. (E&E News)

SOLAR:

• A Georgia county commission rejects a proposed 280 MW solar farm on more than 4,600 acres next to a wildlife management area home to an isolated population of about 300 black bears. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
• A Virginia county board adds solar amendments to its zoning ordinance to address siting, effects on neighboring properties, decommissioning and more. (Kingsport TimesNews)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Ford partners with a Texas electric company to cover the cost of at-home charging of electric vehicles during off-peak hours to incentivize EV purchases while curbing grid demand during peak times. (Utility Dive)

GRID:

• Virginia regulators hold a public hearing on Dominion Energy’s plans to build 9.4 miles of overhead transmission lines to support new data centers, while nearby residents pressure the utility to move at least part of the new lines underground. (WUSA)
• Texas lawmakers criticize a regulatory body for initially approving a state-backed loan for a 1,292 MW gas-fired power plant before rejecting it because it included NextEra, which denied its involvement in the project. (Utility Dive)

NUCLEAR:

• The Tennessee Valley Authority clears a former coal-fired power plant in Tennessee for use by an energy company as a nuclear fusion testing site. (WVLT)
• Florida officials begin studying how to expand nuclear power in the state, which currently only has two active nuclear power plants that provide roughly 13% of the state’s power. (Spectrum News)

UTILITIES:

• A Kentucky electric cooperative will receive a portion of $7.3 billion in federal funding to invest in renewable energy. (Kentucky Lantern)
• Georgia regulators approve a $122 million rate decrease for Georgia Power based on savings from corporate tax cuts enacted by state lawmakers earlier this year. (Capitol Beat News Service)

COMMENTARY: Texas is successfully transitioning to renewables despite the best efforts of GOP leaders who deny climate change and want to double down on fossil fuels, writes a columnist. (Houston Chronicle)