South Carolina warns of ​‘drastic change’ in load forecast

GRID: Executives from South Carolina’s state-owned utility, Santee Cooper, say projected load increase from data centers, manufacturers and a growing population could require more than $7 billion in new projects through 2034. (Post and Courier)

ALSO:

• Tennessee U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen joins ten other congressional Democrats in urging the Tennessee Valley Authority to prioritize renewables and energy efficiency over a planned gas-fired generation buildout. (Daily Energy Insider)
• West Virginia officials are courting a large data center, but the state’s dependence on coal power could be a sticking point for developers. (WV Metro News)

OVERSIGHT:

• As North Carolina Republicans push to limit the power of newly elected Democratic officials, Gov. Roy Cooper says an effort to shrink the state’s Utilities Commission is unconstitutional and would hinder the state’s progress on renewable energy. (WRAL)
• Additional plaintiffs have joined a youth-led climate lawsuit that seeks to review whether the Florida Public Utilities Commission’s rulings are in compliance with state renewable energy policies. (Associated Press)

CLEAN ENERGY:

• Gov. Roy Cooper highlights North Carolina’s progress on reducing climate-warming emissions, saying the state’s clean energy economy has seen $24 billion in investments and more than 20,000 new jobs. (News & Observer)
• Advocates and lawmakers expect to see bills related to solar siting, data centers, and electric vehicle charging in the upcoming legislative session. (Times-Dispatch)

WIND:

• The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management says two companies have shown an interest in developing offshore wind in a section of the Gulf of Mexico set for a lease auction in 2026. (Advocate)
• North Carolina’s second land-based wind farm, a 189 MW facility providing power to Google, has begun generating electricity. (WUNC)

SOLAR: As Texas lawmakers consider bills to restrict solar development, advocates point to agrivoltaics as a solution to preserve agricultural land. (Houston Chronicle)

OIL & GAS: Texas is seeing a surge in applications to sequester carbon dioxide in oilfields, which advocates warn could lead to earthquakes and well blowouts. (Reuters)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Toyota plans a new paint facility as part of an additional $922 million in upgrades to a Kentucky plant, where it plans to build a new electric SUV. (Associated Press)
• A Virginia school district is adding 10 electric school buses to its fleet with the help of a $3.45 million federal grant. (WRIC)

TRANSPORTATION: A Miami-Dade County official says a proposed mass transit buildout endorsed by voters could cost more than $6 billion, and ​“we need to do it.” (WLRN)

NUCLEAR: Arkansas’ lone nuclear plant, which utility Entergy Arkansas calls the ​“backbone” of its generation fleet, will mark 50 years of operation this week. (Sentinel-Record)