Today’s headlines: Virginia offshore wind delivers power, nuclear for data centers, 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.

OFFSHORE WIND

• Dominion Energy begins sending power to the grid from its first commercial turbine at its Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project, which is eventually projected to produce 2.6 GW of energy. (WHRO, Virginia Mercury)

• Offshore wind lease money the federal government refunded to TotalEnergies is likely to offset the company’s existing fossil fuel investments, not spark any new development, experts say. (Grist)

• The split-screen of Dominion Energy beginning operation of its Virginia wind farm while Trump moves to block new projects on the East Coast captures the tumultuous state of the offshore wind industry. (E&E News)

DATA CENTERS

• Microsoft and Nvidia announce a partnership aimed at spurring nuclear power development to power AI data centers. (Axios)

• Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) propose a nationwide moratorium on data center construction until the industry can make stronger assurances to protect the environment and utility customers. (news release)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• Prolonged conflict in Iran is likely to boost EV adoption, especially in Asian countries that rely on Middle Eastern fossil fuel exports. (Reuters)

• Puget Sound Energy launches Washington state’s first bidirectional electric vehicle charging pilot that will use residents’ EV batteries to provide backup home power and reduce strain on the grid. (Utility Dive)

POLITICS

• Oklahoma’s governor appoints fossil fuel executive Alan Armstrong to be the state’s next Republican senator, with Armstrong saying he aims to focus on energy permitting reform. (E&E News)

CORRUPTION TRIAL

• Jurors in the Ohio corruption trial of two former FirstEnergy executives signal they may be deadlocked over a central allegation of bribery. (Signal Ohio)

CLIMATE

• Maryland’s Supreme Court rules against reviving three local lawsuits, struck down by lower courts, that accused fossil fuel companies of deceiving consumers about the environmental impacts of their products. (New York Times)

• New York confirms that Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) ordered partner organizations to remove references to the state’s climate law from their materials in January, months before she formally proposed changing key provisions of the law. (E&E News)