West Virginia’s coal cleanup fund faces collapse; UAW targets Southeast factories amid energy and regulatory shifts.

West Virginia’s coal mine cleanup fund is at risk of collapse due to a bankruptcy by a significant mining company, which could leave state taxpayers footing for cleanup costs. A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit by Louisiana groups alleging that a parish government used discriminatory land-use policies to place petrochemical plants in majority-Black communities. Georgia is investing in battery storage to leverage its rapidly growing solar energy sector. Texas regulators are urging the state’s grid operator to update its rules to accommodate more battery storage facilities. Experts are also debating whether Texas’ deregulated power market needs to change due to the state grid entering the winter season without adding significantly more capacity. The United Auto Workers’ push to organize non-union factories is largely focused on factories in the Southeast, including planned Hyundai and Rivian electric vehicle plants in Georgia.