West Virginia school system goes 100% solar

SOLAR: A West Virginia school system will become the first in the state to run entirely on solar power after reaching an agreement with a state solar developer, prompting lame duck U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin to credit the federal climate package. (Associated Press)

ALSO:

• A solar cell manufacturer announces it will close one of its two Korean factories as it aggressively pursues a $2.5 billion project in Georgia, leading some to question whether it will abandon the sagging Korean market altogether. (Korea Times)
• Alabama residents worry a proposed Tennessee Valley Authority solar farm could threaten nearby historical sites and their eligibility for grants. (Moulton Advertiser)
• A Florida city opens enrollment for a community solar program powered by two new solar plants. (WRBW)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: After a successful strike against the Big Three automakers, the United Auto Workers announces plans to organize workers at 13 non-union companies building U.S. factories, with one of its strongest campaigns aiming at a Toyota plant in Kentucky. (CNN)

CLIMATE: Climate change and worsening natural disasters have sent insurance rates soaring in Texas by 22%, double the national average. (Texas Tribune)

CLEAN ENERGY: Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announces a partnership to develop 65,000 acres of former coal mining land into a hub with wind, solar, pumped storage hydropower, nuclear, natural gas, hydrogen and battery storage. (Virginia Business)

WIND: Dominion Energy’s undaunted pursuit of a 2.6 GW offshore wind farm near Virginia could make it a model for more offshore wind development as other projects are canceled or sharply scaled back amid complications. (GreenBiz)

COAL: Austin, Texas, continues to rely on an aging coal-fired power plant despite its net zero goals largely because the plant is co-owned by a state entity that’s resisted closing the facility. (Austin Chronicle)

OIL & GAS:

• The U.S. Coast Guard expands its search for the source of last month’s Gulf of Mexico oil after inspecting more than 40 miles of nearby pipeline without identifying any damage. (NOLA.com)
• A West Virginia natural gas company will credit customers $75 each for a multi-day outage that occurred when gas lines were flooded as the result of a water main break. (WV Metro News)

GRID: The Tennessee Valley Authority invests $8 million into weatherization and grid improvements to boost reliability after December 2022’s rolling blackouts. (WSMV)

UTILITIES: The University of North Florida launches a ​“Sustainable Solutions Lab” to research problems and train students for green jobs with donations from Jacksonville’s municipal utility. (Florida Times-Union)

GEOTHERMAL: Military officials move to develop a ​“utility-scale” geothermal energy system at an Air Force base in San Antonio, Texas. (Houston Chronicle)

COMMENTARY:

• Despite dire predictions, Texas’ power grid seems likely to hold up this winter because power suppliers know that another failure will likely cost them both financially and politically, writes an energy columnist. (Houston Chronicle)
• Developing more community solar can boost grid reliability while adhering to conservative political principles, writes the Georgia director of a conservative clean energy group. (Valdosta Daily Times)
• Virginia should consider the example of Georgia’s long-delayed, over-budget expansion of nuclear Plant Vogtle before it pursues development of small nuclear reactors, writes a climate activist. (Roanoke Times)