Today’s headlines: Microsoft waffles on clean energy, Virginia curbs solar payments, 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.

CLEAN ENERGY

• The CEO of Portuguese firm EDP Renewables says it will keep the U.S. as its largest investment market despite abandoning offshore wind plans in the country: ​“The big bet in the U.S. will be on solar and battery energy storage.” (Reuters)

• Voters in Richland County, Ohio, reject a referendum that would’ve struck down a ban on wind and solar development in 11 of the county’s 18 townships, though its narrow margin of failure suggests many Republicans voted to nix the restriction. (Signal Ohio)

DATA CENTERS

• Microsoft is reportedly weighing whether to delay or even abandon its 2030 target for powering data centers with clean energy, as the firm tries to remove hurdles that could hold it back in the race to power the computing facilities. (Bloomberg)

• American Electric Power Co., one of the largest U.S. utilities, threatens to exit two of the nation’s biggest grids over how long it takes to connect new AI data centers, although experts say such a move could be costly and difficult. (Bloomberg)

GRID

• The White House has been considering issuing an executive order to spur advanced transmission technology since at least November, say five people briefed on the issue. (Latitude Media)

• Advocates say grid operator PJM’s four-year pause in adding new generation projects to its interconnection queue did irreversible damage to states with renewable energy targets. (Inside Climate News)

SOLAR

• Virginia regulators allow Dominion Energy to pay a reduced rate for excess power produced by customers’ rooftop solar recommendations, though not quite as low as what the utility requested. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

EMISSIONS

• The Securities and Exchange Commission sends a proposal to the White House to formally end never-implemented Biden-era rules requiring publicly traded companies to report climate change risk, and emissions for some firms. (Politico)

CLIMATE LAWSUITS

• With a new law, Iowa joins the cohort of states that shield polluters from civil and criminal claims of climate-related harms tied to greenhouse gas emissions. (E&E News)

NUCLEAR

• A federal watchdog report finds the DOE’s nuclear waste facilities need $1.5 billion in repairs, with two sites accounting for nearly two-thirds of the necessary work. (Politico)