Hyundai steel plant underway

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Cleaner steel takes shape: Hyundai has broken ground on its $6 billion steel mill in southern Louisiana, which may end up being the lowest-carbon facility of its kind in the country. The steel mill will run on natural gas when it first opens in 2029, making it less carbon-intensive than traditional coal-fired mills but still a significant emitter of planet-warming pollution. (Canary Media)

Dominion vs. Old Dominion: Top Virginia utility Dominion Energy is looking to build one of the country’s biggest natural gas plants in rural Cumberland County — a proposal that’s in direct conflict with the state’s climate goals. (Canary Media)

Solar gets schooled: Virginia’s Roanoke City Public Schools district has been installing solar panels for years to lower its power bills, curb emissions, and teach students about cleantech. Now, it’s also investing in battery storage by building a microgrid at both of its high schools, which double as disaster shelters. (Canary Media)

Keeping it local: Leaders in Austin and San Antonio, Texas, are fighting Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s proposal to disband their municipally owned electric utilities. They say those utilities offer cheap power rates and funnel profits back to city services, but Abbott contends private competition will drive down electricity prices. (Texas Tribune)

Search for solar: Google is anchoring a project to install 86 MW of solar and 10 MW of batteries on a former coal mine in West Virginia. The Mammoth Solar project is being built by MN8, with batteries from long-duration storage provider Eos. (Utility Dive)

Transmission troubles: In Virginia’s Orange County, resident Michael Carter fears the 115-mile Valley Link transmission line will threaten a farm that’s been in his family for a century. The line will send electricity to the northern part of the state, where a cluster of data centers have driven up power demand. (Virginia Mercury)

A grid in need: Texas grid ERCOT reached a new average demand record over the week of Aug. 22. The region has seen week after week of record-setting demand before reaching 74.5 GW in late August. (Utility Dive)

Solar’s new Mission: Mission Solar Energy has announced a $15 million renovation at its San Antonio solar module manufacturing facility. Mission hasn’t shared the end goal of its renovation just yet. (San Antonio Express-News)

Cut off: Customers of Georgia Power face some of the highest disconnection rates in the country — a problem that becomes especially dire in summer as residents rely on air conditioners that run up their utility bills. (Inside Climate News)

Your hometown power supplier: St. Petersburg, Florida, organizations have introduced a petition to launch a city-owned electric utility. The City Council is already studying the possibility of leaving Duke Energy Florida over rising power bills. (Florida Phoenix)