Today’s headlines: Iran threatens fossil fuel exports, PJM capacity auction falls short, and more

FOSSIL FUELS

• Iran threatens to block all oil and gas exports from the Middle East as the U.S. escalates its airstrikes against the country and reinstitutes a naval blockade. (The Hill)
• President Donald Trump issues proclamations reducing two national monuments in southern Utah by about 90%, reopening nearly 3 million acres of federal land to mining claims and to oil and gas and coal leasing. (Inside Climate News, Land Desk)

DATA CENTERS

• Grid operator PJM Interconnection falls short of its reliability needs but maxes out prices in its latest capacity auction, a result that is expected to add $6.3 billion in costs for utility customers over the next three years. (Pennsylvania Capital-Star, New York Times)
• PJM’s managers are set to vote on proposals that would make sure consumers aren’t on the hook for new power plants needed to run data centers. (WYPR)
• A new law in Pennsylvania will require data centers to submit detailed reports on their energy and water use to the state. (Utility Dive)

NUCLEAR

• New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D) signs legislation directing utility regulators to begin seeking out possible developers to build a new nuclear plant to help meet future energy demand. (New Jersey Monitor)

STORAGE

• Plans are underway to build a 1-GW battery storage facility on the former site of the country’s largest coal ash impoundment in Pennsylvania, a project that would be larger than any other battery system currently on the region’s grid. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

AFFORDABILITY

• U.S. utilities requested more than $18 billion in rate hikes over the first half of the year as public pushback grows over rising utility costs, according to a consumer advocacy group. (Stateline)