Southeast

Clean energy

A new group to help US small towns lead the clean energy transition

Enfield Mayor Mondale Robinson announced the group’s launch in September, saying that small towns, often overlooked, will have more power if they work together.

By Elizabeth Ouzts .

8 October 2026

A man in dark pants and vest, maroon long-sleeve top, stands outside on dry grass under power lines near electric equipment — Mayor Mondale Robinson, of Enfield, North Carolina, at the town’s aging substation (Elizabeth Ouzts/Canary Media)

Data centers

Virginia’s new energy plan: Make the AI boom work for — not against — us

Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s just-released blueprint doubles down on the state’s landmark climate law while aiming to solve the data center growth problem.

By Elizabeth Ouzts . 5 October 2026
Solar

North Carolina food bank gets microgrid backup for future storms

Marshall’s Beacon of Hope was spared during Hurricane Helene. Thanks to a state grant, solar panels and batteries make it even better prepared to help its community.

By Elizabeth Ouzts . 1 October 2026
Corporate procurement

Despite big Texas solar purchase agreement, Meta still uses lots of gas

The new solar project is less than half the size of a gas plant planned for Meta’s El Paso data center.

By Lauren Nutall, Inside Climate News . 1 October 2026
Nuclear

With federal funding windfall, X-energy advances small nuclear reactor

The Amazon-backed firm is aiming to build up to 144 of its novel Xe-100 reactors as the U.S. government seeks to revitalize an industry beset by rising costs.

By Brian Martucci . 23 September 2026
Fossil fuels

Duke Energy wants to build a new gas plant. Regulators said not so fast.

The 255-MW plant in North Carolina was meant to help meet data center demand. Regulators took the rare step of rejecting the permit amid a growing national backlash.

By Elizabeth Ouzts . 21 September 2026
Geothermal

Mazama Energy raises $135M for superhot geothermal at Oregon volcano

The startup hit a milestone last year when it drilled the world’s hottest next-gen geothermal well. Now it’s working to prove its tech can scale commercially.

By Maria Gallucci . 17 September 2026
Batteries

xAI has quietly built a massive battery at its Memphis data center hub

Company and utility execs called it the nation’s biggest battery, but details are scant. A July satellite image shows 720 Tesla Megapacks at the controversial site.

By Julian Spector . 11 September 2026
Fossil fuels

Virginia kept its climate law. Dominion sees a loophole.

To power data centers, the state's largest utility is proposing a massive 3-gigawatt gas plant that tests the limits of the Virginia Clean Economy Act.

By Elizabeth Ouzts . 9 September 2026
Solar

A Virginia school district pioneers solar and battery microgrids

Roanoke City Public Schools is building the state’s first solar-plus-storage systems to keep emergency shelters going during extreme weather and cut down on costs.

By Elizabeth Ouzts . 8 September 2026
Green steel

Hyundai breaks ground on Louisiana steel mill. Is it green enough?

The plant will cut CO₂ emissions compared to traditional coal furnaces. But Hyundai's use of gas and resulting pollution show the messiness of cleaning up steel.

By Maria Gallucci . 3 September 2026