Utilities abandon $25 billion nuclear project in South Carolina

NUCLEAR: Santee Cooper and SCANA Corp. announced Monday they are stopping construction at the long-delayed and over-budget Summer nuclear plant in South Carolina, with SCANA planning to brief regulators today on its plans. (Post and Courier, Associated Press)

ALSO:
• Santee Cooper’s CEO said the halting of the Summer nuclear reactors ​“pushes us back to more carbon, whether it’s natural gas or coal.” (Associated Press)
• The projects in South Carolina and Georgia have demonstrated that the main obstacle to new nuclear power is an economic one. (Washington Post)
• Abandoning construction of the Summer nuclear reactors in South Carolina is a major blow to the future of nuclear power in the United States. (New York Times)
• A federal appeals court is scheduled to hear arguments in a lawsuit that challenges a state law that led Florida Power & Light and Duke Energy Florida to charge customers for nuclear power projects. (News Service of Florida)

UTILITIES: Some groups are seeking more renewable energy from a Florida utility as its franchise agreement with Miami-Dade county comes up for a vote. (Miami Herald)

PIPELINES:
• An analysis of the Mountain Valley Pipeline underestimates by more than 300 percent the project’s impacts on parts of Virginia’s forests, according to state agencies. (Roanoke Times)
• FERC issued favorable environmental impact statements for the proposed Mountaineer and Gulf Xpress natural gas projects, despite finding the potential for significant environmental impacts. (Utility Dive)
• Plans to build the Atlantic Coast Pipeline through parts of Virginia’s farmland and forests continue to raise environmental concerns. (WVTF)

COAL ASH:
• A look at ongoing work at Duke Energy’s new, lined coal ash landfill on the property that was home to the coal-fired Dan River Steam Station in North Carolina. (News & Record)
• Environmental advocates spoke during a public hearing on Monday in opposition to EPA administrator Scott Pruitt’s decision to delay implementation of a 2015 rule setting tighter guidelines for power plant wastewater piped into rivers and lakes around the country. (Associated Press)

OIL & GAS: Virginians’ dislike appears to be growing for seismic testing off its coast for oil and gas exploration because of the potential harm it causes to sea life. (Bay Journal)

SOLAR:
• A Virginia workshop helps farmers learn more about solar energy. (WCVE)
• Misleading sales tactics about solar energy have become among the fastest-growing consumer complaints in Florida, according a survey. (Herald-Tribune)

COMMENTARY: A Los Angeles Times editorial questions the decision-making process behind approving new natural gas pipelines.