Utility regulatory races, clean energy ballot measures, and more election results

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.

ELECTION RESULTS

• Voters across the U.S. pass or lean toward passing 33 ballot measures to restrict data center construction in their communities, and only approve one measure supportive of the facilities. (Stateline)
• Shortly after Michigan voters approve a ballot measure to rein in investor-owned utility spending on political campaigns, opponents file a lawsuit to block parts of the proposal from being implemented. (Bridge)
• Voters in Ann Arbor, Michigan, narrowly reject a proposal to create a public utility to potentially replace DTE Energy as the city’s power provider. (MLive)
• Georgia Democrats Peter Hubbard and Shelia Edwards sweep the state’s two Public Service Commission races, giving their party a 3-2 majority on the PSC for the first time in decades. (WABE)
• Texans elect Democrat Jon Rosenthal to the state Railroad Commission after GOP candidate Bo French faced condemnation for racist comments, disrupting the all-Republican board. (NBC News)
• Offshore wind opponent Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) loses reelection, though the Democrat that defeated him is also skeptical of offshore wind development despite his general support for renewable energy. (Heatmap)
• Sherrod Brown’s successful bid to flip one of Ohio’s U.S. Senate seats by defeating Republican incumbent Jon Husted tapped into voter opposition to data centers and Husted’s ties to the FirstEnergy bribery scandal. (Ohio Capital Journal)
• Unofficial results indicate Eugene, Oregon, will handily approve the creation of a tax on large corporations to finance a clean energy fund. (KLCC, Oregon Secretary of State)
• Incomplete election results point toward Colorado rejecting a constitutional right to natural gas, while the fate of California’s environmental permitting reform proposition remains uncertain. (Colorado Sun, KQED)

ELECTION ANALYSIS

• Advocates say Democrats’ claim to both houses of Congress sets the stage for renewed climate policy and reflects a mandate from voters to lower energy costs, rein in utility corruption, and check data center construction. (Inside Climate News)
• Analysts say Democrats are likely to focus on energy affordability and restoring clean energy tax credits with their newfound congressional majority, though overly ambitious data center restrictions and reintroducing EV incentives likely won’t be on the table. (Heatmap)
• Congress’ first post-election energy step is to vote on the Senate permitting reform bill, though Democrats’ huge wins have some lawmakers thinking they should push off the legislation and start work on one with more Democratic priorities. (Axios)