Virginia’s new energy plan

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

Virginia’s new energy plan: Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) has rolled out a new plan to tackle rising utility bills and soaring power demand from data centers at the same time. The proposal doubles down on the state’s clean energy commitments and participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, while also outlining how utilities can comply with those targets and still power data centers. (Canary Media)

Merger files unsealed: As Dominion Energy and NextEra Energy continue to move toward a merger, a Virginia State Corporation Commission examiner has ruled they must release documents the utilities have been trying to conceal. That includes a document that details alleged illegal activity by NextEra subsidiary Florida Power & Light in the state. (Virginia Mercury)

Korea’s energy investment: South Korea has announced a $200 billion investment in U.S. energy infrastructure, including funding for a Texas gas plant and several nuclear power plants across America. The investment comes in return for the U.S. lowering tariffs on the Asian county by 15%. (The Hill)

Houston goes solar: Harris County, Texas, has announced a major solar buildout that aims to reduce power bills for as many as 10,000 households in Houston and its suburbs. The county will build seven solar arrays totaling 45 MW of capacity, and plans to build another 20 MW of battery capacity later. (Houston Chronicle)

Carbon capture woes: ExxonMobil’s carbon capture plans are expanding in Louisiana despite widespread community opposition there to carbon sequestration. So as a state moratorium on new carbon injection site applications stands, Exxon is shipping carbon it captures at three industrial sites by pipeline to Texas and Mississippi. (The Advocate)

Let’s get resilient: A North Carolina food bank in a town devastated by Hurricane Helene is now better prepared for future disasters. It’s installed a solar and battery microgrid that can keep refrigeration and other critical services running in an emergency, thanks to a $5 million state grant program established to build microgrids around the state. (Canary Media)

‘Wait for the clock to run out’: Louisiana’s offshore wind industry has a clear strategy for surviving the Trump administration: Just wait it out. Industry experts, including a Republican state representative who used to work in offshore wind, say they’re hopeful they can survive the current federal slump and fire back up again when a new president enters office. (Verite News)

REAP, meet sow: Newly published federal rules have essentially killed federal grants that help farmers install solar panels on their land. The Rural Energy for America Program has for years allowed farmers to build solar and sell their excess generation back to the grid, but has been slashed in the Trump administration’s latest attack on clean energy. (Canary Media)

Coal continues: According to its latest integrated resource plan, western Kentucky utility Big Rivers Electric Corporation intends to keep its existing coal and gas power plants running beyond 2050, claiming that ​“reliability” investments in those facilities are its lowest cost option for providing power. (Kentucky Lantern)