Georgia allows data centers to bring their own solar and battery power

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.

DATA CENTERS

• State regulators approve Georgia Power’s proposal to allow data centers and other large load customers to identify and commit to paying for solar, battery, and other clean energy projects to power the facilities, offering a template for other utilities nationwide. (Canary Media)

CLEAN ENERGY

• Georgia firm Suniva plans to build a $350 million, 4.5 GW solar-cell factory in Laurens, South Carolina, that is expected to employ 564 workers. (South Carolina Daily Gazette, PV Magazine)

• Texas regulators and Republican lawmakers step up attacks on solar power, raising concerns that they could hamper the state’s explosive clean energy growth. (E&E News)

• Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger signs several bills into law aimed at encouraging clean energy development by streamlining residential solar permitting and boosting distributed generation and battery storage. (Solar Builder)

• The Southern Renewable Energy Association launches the Powering Georgia program to educate residents about and encourage clean energy development. (news release)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• Tesla’s Giga Texas EV-manufacturing facility in Austin increases its annual water consumption by 200 million gallons over two years, sparking concerns it could strain municipal supplies. (Texas Tribune)

• Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear unveils the state’s ninth EV charging station funded by the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program. (KFVS)

POLLUTION

• Louisiana legislation that would require air monitoring systems at high-emission industrial facilities stalls out in a state senate committee. (Louisiana Illuminator)

HYDROPOWER

• Rye Development and Louisville Gas and Electric Company consider constructing a 266 MW pumped hydropower storage project on former coal mining land in Bell County, Kentucky. (Renewables Now)

NUCLEAR

• South Carolina utility Santee Cooper says it expects to know by June whether a $2.7 billion deal will go through to restart construction on the idled V.C. Summer nuclear plant near Jenkinsville. (South Carolina Daily Gazette)

UTILITIES

• Jacksonville, Florida’s city council scrutinizes JEA’s decision to pay a substantial deposit for a proposed natural gas plant before state regulators approved it, saying it echoes the utility’s 2008 purchase of power from the Vogtle nuclear plant before it was completed. (Times-Union)

BIOFUELS

• Southern Energy Renewables and Axens team up to use wood-waste biomass to produce methanol and sustainable aviation fuel at scale at a planned refinery in Louisiana. (Biofuels Digest)

COMMENTARY

• A Texas journalist criticizes Denton city leaders for committing over $1 billion to road-widening projects, saying they will lead to increased transportation-related emissions and put the city’s net-zero targets out of reach. (Texas Observer)

NEW FROM CANARY

• This Ohio county put a ban on wind and solar. Will voters reverse it? — Kathiann M. Kowalski

• Vermont’s first neighborhood geothermal project prepares to break ground — Sarah Shemkus

• Stegra lands funding to complete world’s first major green-steel mill — Maria Gallucci