Rising power bills are on the minds of millions of voters. In GA, Dems won two statewide races for the utility board. My source said it "was a referendum on Georgia Power and high electric bills." In NJ, high bills were a top issue for both parties. #greensky #energysky san.com/cc/high-elec...

It's clear New Jerseyans understand that clean energy is the solution to the affordability crisis, not the problem. I spoke to @keatonpeters.bsky.social about how energy affordability became a top election issue this year! Full piece here >> san.com/cc/high-elec...

What happens when a data center moves in a few hundred feet from your neighborhood? A firm found 79 GW of proposed facilities. It would take 40 Hoover Dams to meet that electricity demand. In Taylor, TX, the one family is trying to stop a project. #greensky #energysky san.com/cc/a-data-ce...

Ever-higher electric bills and even hotter temperatures leave Americans in a "double squeeze" paying more for power and needing more of it to stay cool. Falling behind on utility bills can be deadly. 23 states now ban electricity shutoffs during high heat. #energysky san.com/cc/as-electr...

Texas has the cheapest gas in the U.S., with multiple $2.08 options yesterday. Avg prices are down to levels not seen since Dec. 2024 or May '21 Trump is taking credit but what’s driving it? OPEC+, seasonal driving habits, an oncoming recession? Expert opinion is split. san.com/cc/2-gasolin...

As #electricity demand increases, there are solutions beyond building new power plants. Dynamic Line Rating has emerged as a promising technology for increasing the gird’s capacity, potentially saving consumers money at a time when #utilitybills are going up. #energysky san.com/cc/how-ai-we...

Hey #energysky I’m a reporter writing about increasing electric #utility bills. Here to connect with people who have personal experience with their power being turned off for an upcoming story. Please reach out at [email protected]. I want to know how disconnection impacted you #electricbill

The Trump administration generated $22.8 million from the latest auction to lease public land for oil and gas exploration. But a policy decreasing royalty payments returned to taxpayers has reignited debate over oil and gas drilling on public lands. #energysky #climate #oil san.com/cc/oil-and-g...

A new Meta subsidiary recently applied to trade wholesale power on the #electricgrid. The move lets Meta sell power it purchased for data centers back to the grid when electricity prices spike. “That’s money that the rest of us wind up paying,” a source said. #energysky san.com/cc/metas-nex...

Offshore wind is on life support and its opponents want to pull the plug on existing projects. “It’s throwing a monkey wrench into an economic development machine” one source said. In New Jersey, public support for wind energy is sinking as voters look for a new governor san.com/cc/offshore-...

“We have a choice to make about how we meet that increase in electricity demand,” report author from @rewiringamerica.bsky.social told me. The report says heat pumps, rooftop #solar and #batteries can meet 100% of projected data center electric load thru 2029. #energysky san.com/cc/rooftop-s...

Across the country, regional utility companies and grid operators are singing the same song: America needs more power. But are the #energy needs of AI data centers overhyped? Many researchers think so, and I asked them why in a new article this morning. #energysky san.com/cc/researche...

I have a story out today with exclusive reporting on workplace safety at an oilfield waste facility in East Texas. McBride Operating has come under fire for its violations of environmental regulations. Workers have also been put in harm's way. (1) insideclimatenews.org/news/0509202...

ConocoPhillips will cut 20-25% of staff, joining Shell, Chevron and others in laying off workers. Coming as oil prices are low and companies have consolidated “There’s this growing consensus that we may be seeing the end of production growth in the U.S.,” my source said. san.com/cc/oil-and-g...

U.S. investment in renewable energy decreased $20.5 billion in the first half of 2025 compared to the end of 2024, a 36% drop. Uncertainty over U.S. policy is the main driver, and is expected to cost jobs and U.S. competitiveness. #energy #energysky #climate #renewables san.com/cc/private-i...

Three gas power plants totaling 2.3 gigawatts rushed through for Meta data center. The project was approved without waiting for an official recommendation from an administrative law judge, who reviewed hundreds of pages of testimony and oversaw in-person hearings in July. san.com/cc/louisiana...

#EnergySky The core issue was who would pay for new gas infrastructure if Meta backpedals its data center plans, or leaves after the initial 15-year contract. Entergy also did not complete competitive bidding. Davante Lewis, the sole NO vote, said those issues were "too bitter for me to swallow"

APPROVED in a 4-1 vote: 2.3 gigawatts of gas plants to power Meta's data center Shouts of "shame" and "you sold Louisiana out" were heard as the Louisiana Public Service Commission went to recess following the vote. Critics argued ratepayer protections were insufficient. san.com/cc/entergy-l...

A final vote hasn't happened yet, but the Public Service Commission stands ready to approve Entergy's gas plants, based on comments made by commissioners so far during the discussion.

The Louisiana Public Service Commission is meeting now to discuss Entergy's plan for 2.3 gigawatts of natural gas power plants for the largest proposed data center in the U.S., a $10 billion Meta facility. The gas power plants have faced backlash from consumer advocates san.com/cc/entergy-l...

State utility commission sues Texas attorney general to avoid releasing data on crypto companies’ power use

Good journalism makes trouble. @keatonpeters.bsky.social and other reporters requested data on cryptocurrency mining from the TX Public Utility Commission, which said nope, seemingly on behalf of the industry. The A.G. said to release it. Now the PUC is suing Paxton. san.com/cc/exclusive...

I asked the Public Utility Commission of Texas for information on registered cryptocurrency mines across the state. The commission said they can't release it because... Terrorism? Now the PUC is suing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to keep the information confidential. san.com/cc/exclusive...

Leitha confirms that a volunteer fire department chief called at 4:22 a.m. asking for a Code Red -- which is an alert the county can push to subscribers. He said a sargeant approved that a minute later. But the Code Red didn't go out until 5 a.m. www.texastribune.org/2025/07/30/t...

Can Trump deliver cheap gas AND "drill, baby, drill"? There's a catch: Low prices consumers want at the pump make more drilling unprofitable. Oil industry needs about $75/barrel to seriously expand drilling. So far, it's not happening. For @san.com.web.brid.gy san.com/cc/trumps-pu...

UN chief tells Big Tech: Power your AI data centers with 100% clean energy by 2030. But with data centers set to consume as much electricity as Japan, can renewables really keep up with AI’s massive appetite? Answers and more questions in my latest for @san.com.web.brid.gy san.com/cc/can-data-...

On Tuesday #Trump joined Big Tech investors at a summit unveiling billions for new #AI data centers in #Pennsylvania. But experts warn the grid faces a backlog of #energy projects waiting to connect, and a pricing structure causing skyrocketing costs. san.com/cc/mid-atlan...

Electricity bills have been rising. Is it because of data centers? Supply chain woes for power plants? Tariffs? Federal policy changes? Or is the problem deeper, lying in how markets are structured? We have answers in a new piece for Straight Arrow News san.com/cc/data-cent...

“We are not dealing with the same type of sagebrush rebel that we were dealing with in the 1970s,” a source told me. “The sagebrush rebels of today don’t drive cattle. They drive Porsches and Mercedes.” My latest on local opposition to public land giveaways: insideclimatenews.org/news/1505202...

In Colorado, the federal government promised to pay for upgrades to keep utility rates down. As Trump casts uncertainty over funding, what happens now? Reporting by @keatonpeters.bsky.social via @highcountrynews.org

Scoop: NOAA has hired someone who was fighting offshore wind projects on behalf of the fishing industry to be its top lawyer. cc @heatmap.news heatmap.news/energy/noaa-...

Can cities ban natural gas in new buildings? A federal judge just said yes. After a string of discouraging rulings for other cities, a court upheld NYC's efforts to decarbonize its buildings. grist.org/buildings/na... #Gas #Buildings #Judges #NYC #Climate

Facing staff and budget cuts, NOAA continues to provide critical climate intelligence, including a spring outlook that warns of intensifying drought stretching across large swaths of the U.S.

Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, who spent 40 years at EPA, says the decimation of the agency's research office will harm environmental protections, prevent the agency from getting ahead of future threats, and leave the public exposed. insideclimatenews.org/news/1803202...

NEW: Fresh details on the chaos leading up to the WH ordering the US Army Corps to release billions of gallons of water from 2 CA dams in Jan. Included DOGE reps demanding to “turn on the pumps” themselves at a federal water plant, while getting their picture taken. www.cnn.com/2025/03/07/c...

Scoop: ~33% of NWS offices no longer have sufficient staffing to safely keep 24/7 operations. Critically understaffed @nws.noaa.gov offices now include: Boston Miami Houston Omaha Wichita Kansas City Marquette, MI Sioux Falls, SD Rapid City, SD Cheyenne, WY www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

It can be hard to keep track of every EO, budget cut and departmental gutting that will impact the environment, climate and our health under Trump. But @insideclimatenews.org has published more than 50 stories so far this year doing just that. Find 'em here: insideclimatenews.org/project/trum...

I've been encountering over the past few days the claim that the planet is warming twice as fast as predicted. This is entirely untruthful and unhelpful. The planet is warming AS fast as predicted, which is cause enough for dramatic action. The truth is bad enough!

In December, the 5th Circuit fined ExxonMobil $14.25M for emissions at its Baytown refinery from 2005-13. Pollution didn't stop in 2013. “Your eyes will burn. Your throat can burn" when stepping outside, said a close neighbor. For @houstonlanding.bsky.social houstonlanding.org/for-baytown-...

The Trump admin’s likely illegal freeze of federal climate and energy funds has forced grant recipients to furlough workers, bear unreimbursed costs and delay projects. A federal judge has ordered the freeze to end. When will federal agencies comply? www.canarymedia.com/articles/pol... #energysky

“Every drop belongs to someone,” said Kaweah River Watermaster Victor Hernandez. “The reservoir may belong to the federal government, but the #water is ours. If someone’s playing political games with this water, it’s wrong.” "Someone" sjvwater.org/trumps-emerg...

If you don’t already, this thread shows why @canarymedia.com is well worth the follow.

Trump has ordered the government to stop all permits for wind energy heatmap.news/sparks/wind-...

ERCOT expects normal grid conditions (aka no outages) through next week's freeze, a spokesperson said Wednesday. ERCOT's dashboard is showing plenty of electricity supply to meet demand through next Tuesday.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that $6B will be awarded to rural clean power initiatives. Funding will help rural co-ops build solar, wind, and battery projects that will clean up the grid, create jobs, and save money. Reporting by @keatonpeters.bsky.social

“Every wildfire is accused of not being a wildfire, but a planned attack to further sinister ends.” Read @annamerlan.bsky.social’s first-person account of living through devastating wildfires while trying to report on the disinformation about them.

To reduce landfill methane, cities and states turn to curbside composting. New York is new, but California has been at it for years. The’ve had some success, but reducing organic waste at landfills is more complicated than adding a green bin to city services. www.canarymedia.com/articles/met...

Municipal composting has made its official debut in New York City. Municipal composting programs aim to reduce methane emissions from landfills, but implementing them effectively is a long process. Just ask California. Reporting by @keatonpeters.bsky.social

As landowners resist, Texas’ border wall is fragmented and built in remote areas. apps.texastribune.org/features/202... This @texastribune.org story from our reporting, data and photo teams is exactly what investigative journalism is all about.