Rural Texans wary of wind and solar boom

RENEWABLES: Rural Texas residents call for stricter state regulation on the growing number of wind and solar companies attracted by their abundant open land and close access to transmission lines. (Texas Tribune)

GRID:
• Two years after Hurricane Ida caused widespread outages, Entergy proposes a 10-year, $1 billion grid hardening project to reinforce structures across 500 line miles in New Orleans. (NOLA.com)
• Houston residents complain about massive new utility poles that are part of a company’s six-state, $43 billion plan to improve its electric and natural gas systems. (KPRC)

SOLAR:
• A company obtains certification in Virginia’s Pollinator-Smart program for its plans to plant native grasses and wildflowers around a 83 MW solar farm. (Gazette-Virginian)
• A proposal to build a 200 MW solar farm in Virginia mostly garners support from residents at a public hearing. (Martinsville Bulletin)

WIND:
• Wind has surged to produce 22% of Texas’ power while coal has fallen rapidly and natural gas has dipped to produce about half. (Houston Chronicle)
• An energy company expects to begin construction next year on a 3,500 MW offshore wind farm near North Carolina. (Outer Banks Voice)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• A company that makes electric school buses announces plans to expand a pilot program and move more operations to West Virginia. (WFXR)
• A West Virginia utility announces the installation of a solar-powered electric vehicle charger at its offices. (WBOY)
• A research institute spotlights Alabama’s federal proposal to revitalize its rural communities through electric vehicle manufacturing. (Brookings Institution)

COAL: A utility’s $36 million plan to maintain a West Virginia coal-fired plant for a year does not include the additional $160 million cost of operating it plus another $324 million for the cost of coal. (West Virginia Public Broadcasting)

CARBON CAPTURE: Louisiana activists demonstrate against carbon capture projects and call on state lawmakers to restrict the emerging technology. (WVLA)

BIOGAS: Walmart dispatches its first truck powered by renewable natural gas from its Arkansas headquarters to a clean transportation expo in California. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

UTILITIES:
• Residents of a Louisiana neighborhood who live near a power plant find their homes and property covered in oily residue in conditions that mimic a 2022 incident when a generator’s exhaust stack vented out lubrication oil. (The Lens)
• A utility under investigation in Arkansas for billing and natural gas purchasing issues prepares to resume disconnections for nonpayment. (KTHV)
• A utilities board in Orlando, Florida, approves reductions in electric rates due to the falling price of natural gas. (Orlando Sentinel)

FINANCE: Florida lawmakers prepare for a vote on legislation to block state and local governments from environmental considerations in investment decisions. (Florida Politics)

CLIMATE: A Florida meeting of coastal engineers and flood management officials is disrupted by heavy rains that leave some attendees unable to reach the hotel hosting the conference. (Miami Herald)

POLITICS: Coal magnate and Republican West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice considers challenging Democrat Joe Manchin for his U.S. Senate seat. (E&E News)

COMMENTARY:
• A Virginia editor spotlights a U.S. Energy Department report that identifies some coal plants as good locations for small nuclear reactors because of their infrastructure and their workforce. (Cardinal News)
• The head of a Florida consumer energy group applauds the state legislature for considering a bill to encourage the use of hydrogen and renewable natural gas. (Florida Politics)