Support the Energy News Network. Give today and NewsMatch will double the impact of your donation!

SOLAR: Solar installation companies are struggling to find qualified technicians in Texas and need to offer more training or better pay, according to a report by a solar group and research firm. (Houston Chronicle)

ALSO:

• The Conservation Voters of South Carolina hold a town hall to discuss a new rule that reduces how much utilities have to pay solar producers. (ABC News 4)

• Duke Energy clears land and prepares to build a 350-acre, 74.5 MW solar farm in DeBary, Florida, just north of Orlando. (West Volusia Beacon)

• Developers start construction on an operation center in Austin, Texas, that will support large utility and distributed solar-plus-storage projects. (Solar Power World)

***YOUR AD HERE: Every day, Energy News Network email digests reach thousands of highly engaged professionals. Click here for more information on how to get your promotion to our audience.***

OIL & GAS: The head of natural gas company EQT tells West Virginia lawmakers that natural gas drillers want to ramp up drilling but may need “help at some point” securing rights from more landowners. (WVPB)

PIPELINES: Dominion Energy says it’s confident the Atlantic Coast Pipeline will be finished by early 2022 after Morgan Stanley predicts the Supreme Court will stop the project. (Reuters)

COAL: Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) says there’s bipartisan agreement on a bill to secure coal miners’ healthcare and pensions; a vote is expected this week. (WV Metro News)

COAL ASH: A judge rules that North Carolina environmental regulators failed to use proper procedure when issuing permits for two coal ash landfills. (WRAL)

BIOGAS: Some homes in Pitt County, North Carolina, are getting their power from turkey waste that has been turned into natural gas. (WCTI)

UTILITIES: South Carolina utility Santee Cooper approves a new budget, but board members are keeping it a secret until next month. (Post and Courier)

OVERSIGHT: A lawsuit alleges Alabama utility regulators violated the law by preventing people from recording a recent hearing. (Alabama Public Radio)

COMMENTARY: Schools in Appalachian Power’s service area in Virginia are having difficulty installing solar because of a rule buried in contracts, an environmental group says. (Appalachian Voices)