Feds: Wind and solar are propping up the Texas power grid

This roundup of energy news headlines comes from our Southeast Energy News newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning.

RENEWABLES

• The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports that solar and wind provided nearly 40% of Texas’ power in 2025 so far, enabling the once-wobbly grid to accommodate record levels of demand. (Inside Climate News)

• Republican support in the early 2000s laid the groundwork for development of Texas’ nation-leading wind energy industry, which supplies a fifth of the state’s power needs despite Republicans increasingly turning against wind due to Trump’s opposition. (Houston Chronicle)

• A report finds Southern Co. added 4 GW of solar power last year and appears set to double its 2024 total of 28 GW of solar over the next five years, even as it considers a pipeline of more than 50 GW of data centers and other large load additions. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Utility Dive)

• Silicon Ranch explores how to maximize income from solar power and sheep grazing in Kentucky as it looks to expand that model to accommodate cattle. (Inside Climate News)

• North Carolina solar installers are booked out for the rest of 2025 as homeowners scramble to buy rooftop systems before federal clean energy tax credits expire. (WFAE)

FOSSIL FUELS

• The U.S. Interior Department removes the Atlantic coast and a portion of the Gulf Coast around Florida from Trump’s plan to expand offshore oil and gas drilling after opposition from regional Republicans. (Politico)

• FERC gives Louisiana’s Commonwealth LNG export project a four-year extension to come into service. (E&E News)

• Deep River Data proposes drilling North Carolina’s first commercial gas well to power ​“AI workloads,” but not the cryptocurrency operations the company is associated with. (Inside Climate News)

• Experts say West Virginia’s well-plugging deal with Alabama-headquartered Diversified Energy Company represents a missed opportunity to strengthen the state’s protection against abandoned oil and gas wells. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)

• Virginia residents worry a CSX train derailment could contaminate hard-to-access wetlands with coal and diesel fuel. (Inside Climate News)

NUCLEAR

• South Carolina state-owned utility Santee Cooper agrees to begin negotiations with Brookfield Asset Management on a deal to let the company restart construction of two nuclear power plants that were previously abandoned in a $9 billion boondoggle. (Associated Press)

GRID

• A Texas county approves a swept tax abatement agreement with Fermi America over a multibillion-dollar development that will see gas, solar and nuclear generation produce up to 13 GW to power data centers. (Amarillo Globe-News)

COAL

• A federal court moves to seize property from three of West Virginia U.S. Sen. Jim Justice’s family coal companies to satisfy a judgement against them for nearly six years of unpaid retiree health benefits. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)

• Southwest Virginia residents and businesses aim to diversify away from the dwindling coal industry, which continues to lay off miners despite Trump’s executive orders to revive ​“beautiful clean coal.” (Virginia Business)

• West Virginia native Brian Sanson is sworn in as the new leader of the United Mine Workers of America after 30 years of leadership by Cecil Roberts. (WV Metro News)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• Employees at Volkswagen’s Tennessee auto factory vote to authorize the United Auto Workers to call a strike if it becomes necessary in its negotiations for a new contract. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)

• Volkswagen announces a $1.5 billion loss because of President Trump’s tariffs and a shift away from electric vehicles at its Porsche brand. (New York Times)

POLITICS

• Virginia’s rapid buildout of data centers has turned into a major campaign issue in this week’s election of a new governor. (VPM, E&E News)

CLIMATE

• A new rapid attribution study suggests human-induced climate change made Hurricane Melissa four times more likely. (Inside Climate News)

COMMENTARY

• Appalachian Power has been able to reduce its fuel costs due in part to renewables, demonstrating the affordability of solar energy paired with battery storage, writes the director of strategy and engagement for Energy Right. (Cardinal News)

NEW FROM CANARY

• The loophole that could give clean heat a boost under Trump — Jeff St. John

• Europe’s flagship green-steel project gets a financial lifeline — Alexander C. Kaufman

• Do offshore wind farms kill bats? Trump cut research into the question. — Clare Fieseler

• The key elections to watch for energy and climate — Kathryn Krawczyk

• Illinois lawmakers just passed another big clean-energy bill — Kari Lydersen