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Soaring energy prices drive Appalachian Democrat’s election win

By Mason Adams

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This roundup of energy news headlines comes from our Southeast Energy News newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning.

AFFORDABILITY

  • A Virginia Democrat campaigned on affordability and doing something to counter Appalachian Power’s spiking electricity bills on her way to winning 51% of the vote in a district that voted for President Trump in the last three presidential elections. (Canary Media)

SOLAR

  • Pine Gate Renewables moves to close a solar factory in western North Carolina and lay off more than 78% of its workforce as it files for bankruptcy due to clean energy policy changes under the Trump administration. (Charlotte Observer)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

  • Volkswagen-backed electric vehicle maker Scout Motors announces it will open its U.S. headquarters in North Carolina as it builds a factory in the state. (WFAE)

FOSSIL FUELS

  • Chevron details plans to build 2.5 GW of gas generation in West Texas to power co-located data centers, although its CEO remains hesitant to get the company more involved in directly producing power. (Wall Street Journal)
  • Documents reveal that Texas regulatory reforms implemented after the explosion of a 100-foot-high geyser from a malfunctioning oil well still would not have prevented the incident. (Houston Chronicle)
  • A West Virginia coal miner trapped by flooding over the weekend is found dead. (West Virginia Watch)
  • West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey announces the state has secured nearly $4.2 billion in energy investments in the last four weeks, mostly for two new gas-fired power plants and refurbishment projects to extend the life of six coal power plants. (WV Metro News, news release)

PIPELINES

  • A Virginia community say they’re worried about the health impacts of the Mountain Valley Pipeline’s plans to build an additional compressor station. (WVTF/​Radio IQ)

STORAGE

  • A Virginia county official says Microporous, which makes lithium-ion battery separators for electric vehicles, has largely completed layout and design work and should soon begin construction on a new factory after questions about whether it would lose a federal grant. (Cardinal News)

CARBON CAPTURE

  • The U.S. EPA approves Texas’ application to regulate carbon-capture injection wells, potentially clearing a regulatory obstacle and accelerate the industry’s development. (Houston Chronicle)

CLEAN ENERGY

  • A physics program at the New Orleans Charter Math and Science High School gives students real-world experience installing six solar-powered generators around the city. (Verite News)

NUCLEAR

  • Virginia regulators approve Appalachian Power’s request to recover costs from evaluating and developing a site for a potential small modular nuclear reactor. (Cardinal News)

GRID

  • The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission dismisses a complaint by Kentucky regulators and its attorney general alleging that state ratepayers were paying for self-planned” transmission projects by American Electric Power that weren’t subject to adequate oversight and didn’t benefit them. (Utility Dive)
  • A Virginia county board approves new regulations for data centers, including provisions encouraging developers to use renewable energy, follow energy-efficient design standards, and locate within two miles of transmission lines. (WHRO)
  • Documents reveal details about Google’s plans to build a sprawling, 855,846-square-foot data center campus on 307 acres in Virginia. (Virginia Business)

UTILITIES

  • After championing diversity and inclusion a few years ago, Duke Energy has joined other companies in largely muting its environmental, social, and governance initiatives amid vocal opposition from the Trump administration. (The Assembly)
  • The Tennessee Valley Authority sees its operating revenue rise by more than $1 billion over last year as it moves to build 3.7 GW of new, largely gas-fired generation, plus transmission and up to four small modular nuclear reactors. (Utility Dive)

POLITICS

  • Environmental groups press the Georgia Public Service Commission to delay a vote on whether to allow Georgia Power to raise rates to pay for a wave of fossil fuel plants until two Democrats who won election this month are sworn in. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
  • A far-right Texas Republican announces he’ll primary the chair of the state commission that oversees the oil and gas industry. (Texas Tribune)
  • The Kentucky Artificial Intelligence Task Force recommends state lawmakers adopt new laws regarding the location of data centers and their requirements for water and power. (Kentucky Lantern)