Reclaiming Appalachia’s ​“zombie mines”

COAL: Congress members call for an investigation into ​“zombie mines” where coal production has idled but reclamation remains incomplete after an Appalachian advocacy group identified 633,000 acres in seven states that need reclamation. (Inside Climate News)

PIPELINES: The Mountain Valley Pipeline’s developers push back its expected completion to 2024 and increase its cost estimate by $600 million to $7.2 billion. (Roanoke Times, E&E News)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Electric vehicle maker Rivian will open a showroom in Atlanta today and says it will begin construction on its planned Georgia factory next year. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Associated Press)
• An Alabama community college purchases a heavy duty electric truck for EV curriculum in its diesel technology program. (news release)
• Tesla’s Texas factory begins production of its much-anticipated Cybertruck, with deliveries expected at the end of November. (Austin American-Statesman)

GRID: A South Carolina lawmaker warns colleagues the state’s rapid economic and population growth has pushed the power grid to a ​“crisis point” that requires thousands more megawatts in capacity. (Charleston Post and Courier)

SOLAR:

• A Virginia county sets a November public hearing for a planned 100 MW solar farm. (Farmville Herald)
• Developers of a planned 5 MW solar farm in Virginia ask to delay a hearing with local county officials after the project receives considerable criticism. (South Boston News & Record)

COAL ASH: Georgia Power announces plans to partner with a cement alternatives producer to harvest coal ash from a retired coal-fired power plant for use in concrete mixes. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

OIL & GAS:

• Climate advocates criticize Texas regulators for granting wide leeway to companies to apply for exceptions to a state rule limiting the flaring of natural gas at wellheads. (Inside Climate News)
• The oil and gas industry pushes back on the Biden administration’s attempt to impose new regulations on 400,000 miles of gas ​“gathering lines” across the U.S. (Inside Climate News)

WIND: As other offshore wind developers rethink their plans, Dominion Energy confirms its 2,587-MW offshore wind project near Virginia is still on track to begin construction in 2024. (Reuters)

BIOMASS: A wood pellet producer applies for a clean energy tax credit for a new Alabama plant, but critics say wood-burning for energy actually produces more carbon dioxide than coal plants. (AL.com)

RENEWABLE GAS: A cleantech company announces commercial operations have begun at its landfill-to-gas plant in Kentucky. (news release)

STORAGE:

• A lithium company publishes a feasibility study for its plan to extract lithium from brine pumped beneath its holdings in Arkansas and Texas. (Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)
• University of Oklahoma researchers lead a project to develop ​“reversible electrochemical cells” to convert carbon dioxide emissions captured from fossil fuels into natural gas and other fuels. (Journal Record)

TECHNOLOGY: North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper tours an electric and robotics company developing technology to reduce emissions and increase energy efficiency. (WRAL)

EMISSIONS: Austin, Texas, passes a resolution asking state transportation officials to delay an interstate expansion project due to concerns about environmental and air quality impacts. (Austin Monitor)

COMMENTARY:

• A new study of the effects of rising seas on Florida’s municipal governments should be a wake-up call for beach towns, write two professors. (The Conversation)
• Rapidly changing technology and people’s evolving energy needs should prompt Georgia to rethink how it regulates electric utilities, writes a consumer advocate. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)