Amazon lands deal to develop Virginia nuclear power for data centers

NUCLEAR: Amazon officials announce a deal with Dominion Energy to support construction of small modular nuclear reactors in Virginia and Washington as it races Google to secure clean energy to power data centers. (Richmond Times-Dispatch, WTOP, Associated Press) 

ALSO: South Carolina lawmakers discuss restarting a failed nuclear power project. (WLTX)

COAL:

• An Alabama coal-fired power plant is named as the U.S. EPA’s top greenhouse gas polluter for the ninth year in a row, but owner Alabama Power has no plans to retire the plant or convert it to natural gas. (Inside Climate News)
• Duke Energy plans to demolish a boiler house at a Kentucky coal-fired power plant this weekend. (WDRB)

TRANSITION:

• An energy company demolishes a Texas coal-fired power plant with the goal of replacing it with up to 2,100 MW of a combination of natural gas, wind, solar or battery storage. (KLTV)
• Environmental groups sue the Tennessee Valley Authority for moving forward with a plan to replace a coal-fired power plant with natural gas before studying alternatives or seeking public feedback. (Knoxville News Sentinel)
• A federal agency announces $2 million to support 12 West Virginia communities affected by the transition from coal. (WDTV)

SOLAR:

• A 180 MW Texas solar farm begins operations for San Antonio’s municipal utility. (San Antonio Report)
• The U.S. Energy Department announces a loan guarantee to back 200 MW of solar 285 MW of battery storage in Puerto Rico. (Utility Dive)
• A solar-powered ​“net-zero” Florida neighborhood navigates Hurricanes Helene and Milton without losing power. (CNN)

COAL ASH: A Tennessee journalist writes a nonfiction novel about the 2008 coal ash spill at a Tennessee Valley Authority coal-fired power plant. (Knoxville News Sentinel)

CARBON CAPTURE: Louisiana officials discuss the pros and cons of carbon capture at an energy summit. (WVLA)

UTILITIES: Dominion Energy files an update to its long-term generation plan that adds more natural gas to meet rising demand projections while decreasing its anticipated reliance on renewables from 95% to 80%, sparking criticism from Virginia environmental groups. (Virginia Mercury, Inside Climate News)

GRID: Tampa Electric announces it’s restored power to ​“essentially all” of its customers after Hurricane Milton, but still especially hard-hit areas will require more time to restore or rebuild grid infrastructure. (WFLA)

CLIMATE:

• North Carolina’s hurricane recovery agency is running a $150 million-plus deficit and hiding its financial problems from state lawmakers as it seeks to aid residents after Hurricane Helene. (Inside Climate News)
• Experts wonder whether the one-two punch of Hurricanes Helene and Milton will dissuade people from living in Florida. (USA Today)

POLITICS:

• North Carolina officials arrest an armed man for making threats against Federal Emergency Management Agency employees as rumors and misinformation about Hurricane Helene relief efforts run rampant. (Washington Post)
• Florida Democrats discuss how the state’s insurance market may be affected by recent hurricanes, as well as how to access federal relief. (Florida Phoenix)