The Energy Report
Blair Mountain Returns to National Register of Historic Places
The site of West Virginia’s Blair Mountain labor conflict between coal miners and law enforcement was placed back on the National Register of Historic Places after a federal judge ruled its delisting to be unlawful.
Read MoreBlack Lung Disease Surges as Support for Miners Dwindles
A recent study shows that black lung disease in Appalachian coal miners is at a 25-year high — but federal taxes on coal companies that help compensate affected miners are set to expire next year.
Read MoreEPA Rolls Back Coal Ash Protections
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency established new rules for the disposal and storage of toxic coal ash, replacing environmental safeguards put forth by the Obama Administration.
Read MoreTVA Eliminating Energy Efficiency Rebates
Funds for the Tennessee Valley Authority’s eScore, which offered rebates to customers who installed energy efficiency upgrades, will be redirected to programs assisting low-income families in Nashville and Memphis.
Read MoreN.C. Solar Developers Lose Challenge to Duke
The North Carolina Utilities Commission denied requests to review conditions for battery storage Duke Energy inserted into power-purchase agreements for 680 megawatts of new solar projects.
Read MoreThe Cost of Trump’s Coal & Nuclear Bailout
A study found that the Trump Administration’s draft proposal to subsidize floundering coal and nuclear plants for two years could cost between $9.7 billion and $17.2 billion per year.
Read MoreN.C. Slashes Duke Energy Carolinas Rate Hike
North Carolina regulators denied Duke Energy Carolinas’ request to enact a 13.6 percent overall rate hike, instead approving a 0.3 percent increase for residential customers for four years before rates rise.
Read MoreTennessee Valley Authority Changes Rate Structure, Adds New Charge
TVA reduced wholesale power rates but added a new grid access charge, which could disproportionately affect low-income families and small businesses.
Read MoreSolar Advocates Lose N.C. Court Case
In May, the North Carolina Supreme Court upheld a Duke Energy-backed ruling that nonprofit group NC WARN violated the law by installing solar panels on and selling power to a Greensboro church.
Read MoreNew Studies Document Rise of Black Lung Disease
Researchers identified over 4,000 cases of severe black lung disease over the past 50 years, with more than half occurring in the last 16 years.
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