Texas data centers build their own gas plants

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FOSSIL FUELS

• Texas residents grow frustrated as data center developers begin planning and building their own gas-fired power plants instead of waiting for connection to the state grid, affecting nearby neighborhoods and locking in reliance on fossil fuels for decades to come. (Texas Tribune/​Inside Climate News)

• A former coal-mining region of Germany could offer a glimpse of Appalachia’s future as the coal industry continues to decline, although unlike Germany, the U.S. has no comprehensive plan for transitioning the region’s economy. (Oxford American)

• Lawyers with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services say the agency is restoring jobs at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and will not disrupt coal miners’ respiratory health services. (Parkersburg News and Sentinel)

• An investigation finds the Trump administration has reduced coal mine safety inspections and is dismantling other miner safety measures, including a provision to protect them against black lung disease. (CNN)

• The West Virginia Coal Association praises state regulators for issuing orders to extend the life of coal-fired power plants in hopes of juicing coal production in the state. (WV News)

SOLAR

• The Solar Energy Industries Association reports Congress’ ​“big beautiful bill” could cost Florida up to 21,800 solar and storage jobs if clean energy tax credits aren’t restored. (Florida Phoenix)

• Solar-powered microgrids kept parts of Puerto Rico powered during a widespread April outage, but the U.S. Energy Department plans to redirect $365 million previously earmarked for rooftop solar to boost the island’s troubled grid. (IEEE Spectrum)

• Oil and gas pipeline company Enbridge launches a 130 MW solar farm in Texas as it aims to diversify its energy mix. (Electrek)

• FirstEnergy completes construction of a 5.75 MW solar farm in West Virginia on the site of a coal ash dump near a decommissioned power plant. (West Virginia Public Broadcasting)

GRID

• Atlanta residents push back against Georgia Power’s plan to build a substation in a historic Black neighborhood to power a multibillion dollar development. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

• Today marks one year since the Greater Memphis Chamber announced xAI’s plans to build a supercomputer, which has since led to a flurry of debate over its power consumption, use of gas-fired turbines, and environmental effects on neighboring communities. (Commercial Appeal)

POLITICS

• North Carolina Republicans introduce legislation backed by Duke Energy to allow energy companies to charge customers for power plants before they’re built, which supporters say will accelerate new generation but critics warn will shift risks from shareholders to customers. (WRAL)

• Nonprofit Clean Virginia launches an ad campaign against Virginia attorney general candidate Shannon Taylor because she accepted $375,000 from Dominion Energy. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

• Voting begins in the primary election for two seats on Georgia’s utility regulation board. (Capital B)

UTILITIES

• Entergy CEO Drew Marsh discusses the utility’s plans to use natural gas-fired power plants in the short term and nuclear in the long term to meet rising power demand from data centers and industrial development. (Daily Energy Insider)

COMMENTARY

• Grid operator PJM warns that ​“extreme scenarios” could result in power shortages this summer, but local resistance and Trump’s ​“big beautiful bill” both seek to block solar — the largest source of new energy and the quickest to establish, writes an editor. (Cardinal News)

• A Democratic primary candidate for Georgia’s Public Service Commission criticizes regulators’ proposed settlement agreement with Georgia Power over a lack of transparency and how it enables the utility to sidestep making a rate case that can be scrutinized by the public. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

NEW FROM CANARY

• Massachusetts-based Boston Metals prepares to commercialize its cleaner steelmaking process, which uses electricity to remove impurities from iron ore without producing carbon emissions, Sarah Shemkus reports.

• California’s Demand Side Grid Support program faces $100 million in potential budget cuts that could jeopardize its long-term viability as a resource for the state’s overburdened grid, Jeff St. John reports.

• A Chicago initiative aims to illuminate dark streets with energy-efficient LED lights, while also providing residents a path to weatherization upgrades, Audrey Henderson reports.