Virginia Democrats move to fill powerful regulatory board

OVERSIGHT: After winning control of both of Virginia’s state legislative chambers, Democrats move to fill two long-running vacancies on the powerful, three-member state board that regulates utilities and other businesses. (Virginia Mercury)

ALSO: Louisiana Governor-elect Jeff Landry appoints a former Trump administration official who fought to roll back limits on fossil fuels to lead the state’s environmental agency, signaling further state support for the petrochemical industry. (E&E News, subscription)

BIOMASS: The world’s largest wood pellet maker, which operates plants across North Carolina and the Southeast, is rocked by severe financial trouble that could lead to bankruptcy. (Wilmington StarNews)

STORAGE:

• Texas battery operators worry proposed regulations will reduce their ability to support the state grid’s resilience by imposing costly penalties on those that don’t maintain the level of charge the grid operator wants to require. (San Antonio Express-News)
• The CEO of a battery component manufacturer declines to provide details or confirm a report it will receive $100 million in federal funding to build a plant in southern Virginia. (Cardinal News, Virginia Business)
• A lithium-ion battery pouch manufacturer announces plans to build a North Carolina factory. (Business North Carolina)

GRID:

• Nearly a year after gunfire attacks on North Carolina electrical substations knocked out power and killed at least one person, Duke Energy says it’s spent millions upgrading grid infrastructure and local governments say they’ve improved crisis-response plans. (Raleigh News & Observer)
• A North Carolina lawmaker who represents the area where gunfire attacks knocked out two electrical substations says federal law enforcement isn’t doing enough to investigate the case. (Raleigh News & Observer)

SOLAR:

• A solar company building factories in Georgia worries that a surge of clean energy manufacturing driven by the Inflation Reduction Act could overwhelm the market. (New York Times)
• A solar company acquires 19 community solar projects totaling 100 MW across Virginia. (PV Tech)
• A company secures financing for a 100 MW solar project in Arkansas. (Power Technology)

OIL & GAS: The Tennessee Valley Authority proposes building a new 500 MW natural gas-fired power plant at a Mississippi site where a private operator had previously operated a gas plant. (Power Engineering)

COAL:

• A researcher finds reduced species diversity and elevated levels of trace minerals associated with coal ash in a Virginia creek that runs into the Potomac River near a coal-fired power plant. (Bay Journal)
• A court hearing is set in a company’s attempt to seize a helicopter owned by West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice’s coal companies to settle a $13 million debt. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)

EMISSIONS:

• Environmentalists worry Virginia’s booming data center industry and its sizable demand for power could undermine state climate goals. (Capital News Service)
• A Virginia county board votes to rezone property to allow up to nine new data centers after hearing five hours of near-unanimous public opposition to the project. (Prince William Times)

UTILITIES: Kentucky Power reduces its requested rate increase but still faces criticism from Kentucky residents and elected officials for putting an additional financial burden on communities still recovering from 2022’s floods. (Kentucky Lantern)

COMMENTARY: New research shows that most West Virginians leaving fossil fuel jobs do not find new employment in the green economy, largely because Appalachia has fewer wind and solar jobs than places like Texas, writes a talk radio host. (WV Metro News)