Study: Memphis utility could save $120 million by leaving TVA

UTILITIES: Memphis Light Gas & Water, the Tennessee Valley Authority’s biggest customer, could save $120 million a year by generating its own power from natural gas and solar and purchasing the rest from a regional utility, according to a study by Siemens analysts. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)

ALSO:
• As Atlantic hurricane season begins, utility workers prepare for major changes to recovery plans because of the coronavirus pandemic. (E&E News, subscription)
• North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper signs an executive order extending the prohibition of utility shut-offs for another three weeks. (WNCT)

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PIPELINES: The Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley pipelines will likely face delays after a court rules against an Army Corps permitting program, energy analysts say. (Reuters)

OIL & GAS: A bill being pushed through the Louisiana legislature would increase penalties for trespassing on fossil fuel sites during a state of emergency, with a minimum of three years in prison ​“at hard labor.” (HuffPost)

RENEWABLES: Some Texas renewable energy companies are trying to recruit laid off oil and gas industry workers. (Longview News-Journal)

SOLAR:
• A western Kentucky cooperative will get a chunk of its power from renewables after installing a 1,700 acre solar farm. (The Gleaner)
• Arkansas utility regulators are expected to make a decision soon on rules for net metering. (Arkansas Democrat Gazette)

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COAL: Owensboro Municipal Utilities in western Kentucky shuts down its last coal-fired power unit. (WFIE)

COMMENTARY: There’s a major opportunity for solar projects in southwest Virginia under the state’s new clean economy legislation, says Appalachian Voices. (Solar Industry)