Today’s headlines; Carbon capture approval in Texas, a data center flexibility coalition and more

This roundup of U.S. energy news headlines is part of our Canary Media Daily newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox each morning.

CARBON CAPTURE

• Texas regulators grant ExxonMobil permission to store captured carbon dioxide in underground wells, paving the way for a planned underground network of carbon pipelines along the Gulf Coast. (Financial Times)

DATA CENTERS

• Google and Nvidia partner with startup Emerald AI, along with other AI and energy companies, on a coalition meant to support data center demand flexibility. (Axios)

EMISSIONS

• The energy portfolios of the world’s 20 biggest private equity firms produce 1.5 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year, more than nearly any individual country. (The Guardian)

• The Trump administration appeals a federal court ruling that blocked the EPA from sending California’s vehicle emissions rules to the Republican-controlled Congress for a speedy repeal. (Reuters)

TRANSMISSION

• Many federal and state hurdles remain before a planned 800-MW onshore wind farm in northern Maine can become reality. (Inside Climate News)

STORAGE

• B2U Storage Solutions opens a second Texas facility that repurposes used EV batteries for energy storage. (Utility Dive, news release)

NUCLEAR

• South Korean leaders seek a 15% stake in U.S. nuclear giant Westinghouse as the country looks to make a major investment in America’s nuclear buildout. (Korea Economic Daily)

• The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will need to work through next year to overhaul rules and slash permit approval times for new facilities, its chairman says. (Reuters)

UTILITIES

• During the 2026 legislative session, Alabama state lawmakers fell short of enacting regulations that would’ve reined in Alabama Power’s profits — and observers say intense utility lobbying is a big reason why. (Inside Climate News, Inside Climate News)