Discover the Latest News and Initiatives for a Sustainable Future

GRID: The Biden administration announces a $4.9 billion loan guarantee to help finance the first phase of the 578-mile Grain Belt Express transmission line, which aims to move solar and wind energy from Kansas to Missouri and beyond. (E&E News)

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ALSO: An Indiana utility, regulators, and other stakeholders reach a settlement that would require large new load customers like data centers to make long-term commitments to pay for the costs to serve them to avoid costs shifting to consumers, a “landmark” deal supported by ratepayer advocates. (Utility Dive; Indiana Capital Chronicle)

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SOLAR:

• Kansas City officials plan to soon enter into a pre-development agreement with Evergy for a 2,000-acre solar project at Kansas City International Airport. (KSHB)
• The University of Illinois Extension is leading a research project into agrivoltaics that will examine the potential for pollinating plants and grazing at large solar projects. (Center Square)

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STORAGE: A new 100 MW battery storage project brings Michigan utility Consumers Energy’s total storage portfolio to 400 MW, or about 5% of peak electricity demand. (Michigan Public)

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NUCLEAR: The timeline for reopening a shuttered nuclear plant in Michigan next year could be delayed after inspectors found more defects than anticipated in the plant’s steam generator system. (Detroit News, subscription)

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PIPELINES: While President-elect Trump reportedly wants to revive the Keystone XL pipeline, the former project developer no longer owns the pipeline system that it was intended to complement, and portions of the line previously installed have been dug up and would require new local permits. (Politico)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• The incoming Trump administration’s anticipated move to eliminate federal tax credits for electric vehicles are unlikely to stop major automakers’ transition to EVs, which have already seen billions of dollars in investments. (Associated Press)
• Ohio has doubled the number of electric vehicle fast-charging stations available along interstates in the past year, with more in the pipeline. (WDTN)

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FOSSIL FUELS: The Biden administration proposes tighter nitrogen oxide emission limits for new natural gas plants, though the regulation’s fate is unclear with the incoming Trump administration. (Utility Dive)

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TRANSPORTATION: Climate group Sunrise Movement organizes members in Kansas City to make demands for more reliable and cleaner public transportation. (The Pitch)

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LAW: A Missouri attorney pleads guilty to tax evasion after his involvement in local planning decisions to convert a former golf course to a solar project and to demolish a local power plant. (Missouri Independent)

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GRID: The Tennessee Valley Authority approves a power agreement for Elon Musk’s xAI supercomputer facility in Memphis, Tennessee, which is expected to use up to 150 MW at its peak. (Commercial Appeal)

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ALSO:

• A new report finds North Carolina will have to conduct the “largest expansion of electric infrastructure since electrification began in the early 1920s” and exponentially increase its solar, wind, and battery capacity to attain carbon neutrality by 2050. (Carolina Journal)
• “It’s not perfect”: A Florida Power & Light official discusses why there were outages even in places with underground power lines during Hurricane Milton. (Islander News)
• Virginia lawmakers and environmentalists worry about the proliferation of data centers, which are spiking energy demand and could threaten the state’s climate goals. (WHRO)

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SOLAR: As insurance premiums spike as much as 400% for solar projects in Texas due to the risk of damage of hail, one company reduced its insurance costs 72% by installing 3.2mm tempered glass solar panels and other hardened components on a 140 MW solar farm. (PV Magazine)

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COAL:

• A federal judge issues a third contempt order against a Kentucky coal company for failing to address ongoing discharges of selenium and other pollutants at two West Virginia mines. (Associated Press)
• The author of a book discusses how hundreds of workers were poisoned while helping clean up a 2008 coal-ash spill in Tennessee. (Power)

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STORAGE: Georgia Power begins building more battery facilities to supplement its recent investments in solar and nuclear. (WRBL)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A new report finds that Georgia is leading the country in electric vehicle-related job creation, but is ranked just 22nd for EV sales. (WABE/Grist)

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OIL & GAS:

• Despite Donald Trump’s promises to boost fossil fuel production, oil companies are signaling they’ll decrease drilling next year because of sagging crude prices. (Politico)
• Texas oil and gas industry leaders push for weakened methane reporting rules amid anticipation that Trump will roll back environmental rules and promote more fossil fuel production. (Texas Tribune)

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OVERSIGHT: Louisiana voters elect a Republican who pledged to be a “true conservative watch dog” to the state regulatory board, but he seems more moderate than another Republican in the race who promised to “oppose liberal-thinking Green New Deal initiatives.” (Canary Media)

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UTILITIES:

• Mississippi regulators open an investigation into a troubled municipal utility that’s been the source of numerous complaints and recently denied them access to its facilities and personnel. (WJTV)
• Duke Energy plans to file a request with Florida regulators to recover more than $1.1 billion in costs from restoring power during hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton. (News Service of Florida)
• The Tennessee Valley Authority schedules a public meeting in Alabama next week to discuss its draft long-term resource plan. (WZDX)

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CLIMATE: A massive Louisiana coastal restoration project sits in limbo as federal officials press the state to commit to completing the multi-billion-dollar endeavor amid two separate legal challenges. (Floodlight)

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GRID: The Tennessee Valley Authority’s board considers a 150 MW power arrangement for Elon Musk’s supercomputer project in Memphis, Tennessee, which is currently using gas turbines and has prompted opposition from its neighbors. (Commercial Appeal, New York Times)

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CARBON CAPTURE: Occidental Petroleum nears completion of a direct-air carbon capture facility in Texas that would be the first large-scale facility to remove carbon dioxide directly from the air; the company plans to build dozens more. (Houston Chronicle)

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SOLAR:

• Facebook’s parent company strikes a deal with an energy company to acquire all of the power produced by a planned 250 MW solar farm in Texas. (Reuters, Power Technology)
• A 134 MW solar farm north of Houston begins operations with contracts to supply corporate customers and feed power to the Midwest grid instead of Texas’ standalone grid. (Houston Chronicle)
• Amid rapidly growing demand, a company accelerates and expands its plans to build a facility to recycle up to 10 million solar panels per year. (Capitol Beat News Service)

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STORAGE: Georgia Power asks state regulators to approve its plan to build 500 MW of battery storage at four sites. (Capitol Beat News Service)

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PIPELINES: A federal court agrees to hear arguments over a 32-mile pipeline in Tennessee to supply a gas-fired power plant that’s part of the Tennessee Valley Authority’s plan to replace its coal plants with gas. (Tennessee Lookout)

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OIL & GAS:

• A credit rating agency reports the explosive growth of data centers will dramatically increase power demand and likely accelerate natural gas production and infrastructure projects across Texas and the Southeast, especially in the Permian Basin. (Houston Chronicle)
• Marathon Oil informs Texas officials it likely will lay off at least 500 people due to its acquisition of oil giant ConocoPhillips. (Houston Chronicle)
• A company discusses its plans to build a 3,500 MW gas-fired power plant and data center campus in Virginia despite news reports that a county board will vote it down. (Cardinal News)

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WIND:

• Virginia gears up to train up to 40,000 workers who will be needed for jobs in the maritime and offshore wind industries. (Virginia Business)
• An energy company announces it will sell power from a 127 MW wind farm in Texas to electric vehicle maker Rivian. (Renewables Now)

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NUCLEAR: A growing number of South Carolina environmentalists embrace the prospect of nuclear power as a source of carbon-free energy. (Charleston City Paper)

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OVERSIGHT: A flood of companies disclosing their use of toxic chemicals in the fallout from Hurricane Helene exposes a tangled web of federal disclosure laws and regulatory holes that let them hide those details. (The Lever)

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POLITICS:

• Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear says the state’s self-proclaimed status as “the electric vehicle battery capital of the United States” could be jeopardized if Donald Trump wins next week’s presidential election. (Lexington Herald-Leader)
• A new analysis finds the oil and gas industry has given more than $75 million to Donald Trump, not counting funding from dark-money nonprofits. (New York Times)

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UTILITIES:

• Critics call out President Biden’s “milquetoast” efforts to push the Tennessee Valley Authority to address the climate crisis and move toward cleaner energy. (WPLN)
• Southern Company reports a higher third-quarter profit than last year despite weathering extensive damage from Hurricanes Helene and Milton during that time. (Al.com)

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COMMENTARY: The presidential election is causing uncertainty in North Carolina’s clean energy economy as companies move to “de-risk” by slowing projects and waiting to see who wins, write the president and vice president of a climate-focused startup. (Raleigh News & Observer)

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TRANSMISSION: Energy company PSEG unveils the proposed route for a controversial 70-mile transmission line in Maryland that has drawn opposition from landowners, farmers, and environmental advocates. (Maryland Matters)

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ALSO: New England states plan to seek proposals to increase north-to-south transmission capacity to avoid an overload from offshore wind coming online by 2035. (RTO Insider, subscription)

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NATURAL GAS:

• Production of renewable natural gas is growing in Maine, but opponents argue the fuel is not as environmentally friendly as supporters claim. (Maine Public)
• Restaurants, home builders, and unions are challenging a Maryland county’s ban on the use of gas appliances in new construction. (Bloomberg Law, subscription)

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CONSUMER PROTECTION: Lawmakers and advocates are confident a Maryland consumer protection law regulating energy retailers will survive legal challenges by power supply companies. (Inside Climate News)

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OFFSHORE WIND: A joint venture between National Grid and a German utility proposes a 2.8-GW wind farm off Long Island, the largest offshore wind project ever proposed to New York regulators. (Maritime Executive)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Maryland regulators tell utilities to pause a program using ratepayer funds to install electric vehicle chargers at government buildings, citing concerns about low usage and maintenance problems. (Baltimore Sun, subscription)
• A community college in western Massachusetts holds an event to promote careers in the electric vehicle industry and hosts test drives. (MassLive, subscription)

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POLITICS:

• Presidential candidates’ efforts to seem supportive of fracking are infuriating residents of a Pennsylvania community where the extraction process has contaminated water. (The Guardian)
• In New York, advocates worry that neither presidential candidate is likely to crack down on cryptocurrency mining operations that keep their private fossil fuel-fired power plants running constantly. (City and State New York)
• Pennsylvania groups are among those asking both presidential candidates to commit to continued funding to help revitalize the economies of former coal communities. (Allegheny Front)

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GRID:

• A New York electric cooperative receives $27 million in federal funding to improve grid resilience in several counties. (news release)
• A small Vermont electric department is using hungry goats as a fossil-fuel-free way to manage vegetation around transmission lines. (news release)

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STORAGE: The U.S. added 5 GW of utility-scale battery storage in the first seven months of this year, bringing total installations to 21.4 GW and continuing an exponential deployment trend. (The Guardian)

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ALSO:

• A disaster relief agency envisions a “lending library” of portable solar and battery systems deployed throughout the Southeast to aid in power outages. (Energy News Network)
• A new Texas plant will repurpose electric vehicle batteries for use as energy storage, with support from a $20 million Department of Energy grant. (KXAN)

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COAL:

• Cancer rates related to air pollution are 12% higher near plants that use coal to make steel compared to national rates, and 26% higher for residents living near coke plants, a new study finds. (Inside Climate News)
• Tribal nations in Montana’s coal country look to clean energy to help them weather the industry’s decline, but say a lack of resources hampers efforts to tap federal transition funding. (Montana Free Press)

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GRID: Power plant owners support PJM’s proposal to delay an upcoming capacity auction by six months to craft new capacity market rules, but warn that longer delays could erode investor confidence. (Utility Dive)

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POLITICS:

• The presidential election could have a significant impact on the nation’s energy mix, incentives for home weatherization, electric vehicle deployment, and other aspects of the clean energy transition. (Grist)
• Utility commission races in Arizona, Louisiana and Montana could have big implications for the states’ clean energy futures. (Heatmap)

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WORKFORCE: A report finds some small states are punching above their weight in clean job creation, while some top fossil fuel-producing states are missing an opportunity to shift their economies. (Yale Climate Connections)

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EMISSIONS:

• The U.S. Energy Department offers a $162 million loan to a company that will monitor methane emissions at oil- and gas-producing basins. (Axios)
• A startup that places sensors at methane collection wells throughout landfills to fully record leaks could strengthen accountability and make it easier for landfills to find and address emissions. (Canary Media)

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MATERIALS: The U.S. Treasury Department unveils tax incentives for material extraction and producing clean energy components. (Axios)

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NUCLEAR: Amazon and utilities propose advanced nuclear reactors in Washington state to power the firm’s data centers in Oregon, which has a ban on new nuclear plants. (OPB)

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UTILITIES: A report finds agencies have downgraded more than 100 utilities’ credit ratings due to wildfire hazard as insurance and mitigation costs have increased, leading to higher electricity rates. (Utility Dive)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Tesla reports a 17% profit increase in the third quarter, but says most of its earnings came from sales of home batteries and emissions credits. (New York Times)
• An electric plane startup builds out its Vermont factory as it answers a big question: “how do you become an aerospace manufacturing company?” (Seven Days)

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EFFICIENCY: Harvard University researchers retrofitted a 1940s home with a ground-source heat pump, solar panels and other efficient technologies to show how older homes can achieve carbon neutrality. (Utility Dive)

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GRID: The U.S. Energy Department announces $2 billion in grants to shore up and expand the power grid, including a previously announced $612 million for areas wracked by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. (Canary Media)

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ALSO:

• Analysts fear the U.S. EPA’s power plant emissions rule that could shut down fossil fuel generators will make it more expensive to meet rising demand, but supporters say it’s necessary to meet climate goals. (E&E News)
• After Hurricane Helene disabled more than 350 electrical substations in western North Carolina, advocates call for widespread installation of solar-plus-storage microgrids as a more effective climate resiliency investment than storm-hardening traditional grid infrastructure. (Canary Media)

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POLITICS:

• Donald Trump’s campaign brought in a wave of fossil fuel funding after promising industry executives that he’d dismantle environmental regulations, though his $14 million they gave was far short of the $1 billion he requested. (The Guardian)
• Documents reveal the oil and gas industry has drafted a detailed plan to roll back climate rules and regulations if Trump is elected next month. (Washington Post)

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NUCLEAR: After years of declining interest, many state lawmakers have opened the door to nuclear energy development as tech companies push for carbon-free energy to power data centers. (Associated Press)

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GEOTHERMAL: The federal Bureau of Land Management approves a 2,000 MW enhanced geothermal energy project in southwest Utah, and proposes streamlining permitting for geothermal projects on federal land. (E&E News)

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HYDROGEN: A report finds a third of the projects planned as part of an Appalachian hydrogen hub in West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania already have been scrapped, raising questions about the federally funded project’s viability. (Inside Climate News)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: General Motors’ CEO affirms the company is still committed to phasing out combustion car sales by 2035, and says GM will start making a profit on electric vehicles this year. (New York Times)

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CARBON CAPTURE: Meta says it will match the U.S. Energy Department’s $35 million investment to kickstart a carbon market. (Utility Dive)

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WIND: Offshore wind saw advancements in federal permitting and construction on ports and projects in the third quarter this year, but private investment has slowed in advance of the election, an industry group finds. (Utility Dive)

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SOLAR: After Hurricane Helene disabled more than 350 electrical substations in western North Carolina, advocates call for widespread installation of solar-plus-storage microgrids as a more effective climate resiliency investment than storm-hardening traditional grid infrastructure. (Canary Media)

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ALSO:

• Kentucky residents react to a proposed 250 MW solar farm ahead of a public meeting later this month. (WEHT)
• A company secures financing for a 408 MW solar farm under construction in Texas. (Solar Industry)
• A Virginia county will hold a public hearing on a company’s proposal to build 4 MW and a 2 MW solar farms. (Cardinal News)
• Mon Power and Potomac Edison complete construction of a 5.5 MW solar farm in West Virginia. (Fairmont News)

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HYDROGEN:

• A report finds a third of the projects planned as part of an Appalachian hydrogen hub in West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania already have been scrapped, raising questions about the federally funded project’s viability. (Inside Climate News)
• Critics question the lack of progress and transparency around seven proposed hydrogen hubs the federal government is backing with up to $7 billion in grants. (Canary Media)

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NUCLEAR: Kentucky and West Virginia are among the states where lawmakers have opened the door to nuclear energy development as tech companies push for carbon-free energy to power data centers. (Associated Press)

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OIL & GAS:

• Texas residents organize against construction of a planned 1,200 MW gas-fired power plant. (KXAN)
• Documents reveal the oil and gas industry has drafted a detailed plan to roll back climate rules and regulations if Republican Donald Trump is elected next month. (Washington Post)

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PIPELINES: The launch of operations at the 580-mile Matterhorn Express pipeline has opened up distribution bottlenecks from the Permian Basin, reversing price trends and incentivizing operators to increase production. (Reuters)

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HYDROPOWER: Public opposition helped defeat a proposal to build new dams around Asheville in the ‘60s and ‘70s, which contributed to the flooding of the city by the French Broad River during Hurricane Helene. (The Dispatch)

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GRID: Regional grid operator PJM asks federal regulators for a six-month delay in its next auction after environmental groups file a complaint alleging it could unnecessarily cost ratepayers an extra $14.5 billion. (Dominion Post)

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UTILITIES:

• Dominion Energy projects its monthly bills will rise 50% by 2039 as it floats a plan to increase gas-fired generation by 70% while also boosting renewables. (WRIC)
• American Electric Power, Duke Energy, Oklahoma Gas and Electric and the Southern Company were among the utilities pressing for a stay of the U.S. EPA’s new power plant emission rules, which was denied by the U.S. Supreme Court. (Utility Dive, WV Metro News)

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OVERSIGHT: Louisiana voters consider three candidates for a seat on the state’s powerful energy regulatory board. (Louisiana Illuminator)

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ADVOCACY: A former NFL player discusses his involvement in the Sierra Club’s campaign against coal-fired power in western North Carolina led him to become a lobbyist with the organization. (Sierra)

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BATTERIES: California’s grid operator sets a new single-day peak battery discharge record of 8,300 MW after surpassing 10,000 MW of installed storage capacity. (PV Magazine)

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SOLAR:

• A utility and developer bring a 300 MW solar-plus-battery energy storage system online to provide power to customers and a planned Phoenix-area Meta data center. (Renewable Energy World)
• New California legislation allows an irrigation district to oversee proposed utility-scale solar development on Central Valley agricultural land. (SJV Water)
• A Colorado ski area installs a solar array and wind turbine on a chairlift to provide power to heat resort facilities. (Unofficial Networks)

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PUBLIC LANDS: The Biden administration designates the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary off California’s coast, banning new offshore oil drilling and other development on more than 4,500 square miles of ocean. (Los Angeles Times)

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OVERSIGHT: California officials work to fortify state climate and environmental regulations against a potential second Trump administration by preemptively preparing legal challenges and forging agreements with corporations. (New York Times)

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OIL & GAS:

• California advocates look to block a company’s effort to reopen an offshore pipeline that spilled about 3 million gallons of oil in 2015, saying the aging and corroded equipment is at risk of rupturing again. (Los Angeles Times)
• The California Senate passes legislation that would authorize regulators to require oil refiners to maintain minimum gasoline reserves in hopes of moderating pump price volatility. (San Diego Union-Tribune)

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UTILITIES: Wyoming lawmakers consider industry-crafted legislation that would limit utilities’ liability for non-economic losses suffered from power equipment-sparked wildfires. (WyoFile)

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WIND: California commercial fishermen file a lawsuit accusing state regulators of skirting federal law by issuing sonar testing permits to offshore wind developers along the state’s central coast. (Cal Coast News)

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BIOFUELS: Oregon residents and advocates push back against a proposed biofuel transfer facility, saying it poses safety and environmental risks. (OPB)

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HYDROGEN: A pet food company adds a hydrogen fuel cell truck to its California delivery fleet to test the technology’s scalability. (Biofuels Digest)

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GEOTHERMAL: The federal Bureau of Land Management sells 66 geothermal leases on about 219,000 acres in Nevada and nets $7.8 million. (Las Vegas Sun)

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EMISSIONS: California regulators begin crafting rules aimed at limiting dairies’ methane emissions, but advocates worry proposed exemptions could preemptively weaken them. (Canary Media)

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NUCLEAR: Academic advocates cast doubt on a proposed advanced nuclear reactor under development in Wyoming, saying it will cost far more than other carbon-free energy sources and has a radioactive waste problem. (Casper Star-Tribune)

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COMMENTARY:

• A California editorial board calls on voters to approve a $10 billion climate bond measure in November, saying it will help the state address the “slow-building disaster” caused by global warming. (Los Angeles Times)
• A recent study shows how heat pump water heaters can save money on energy and also provide a storage resource for the grid. (CalNEXT, sponsored)

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GRID: President Biden announces $612 million for six projects to improve electric grid resilience in hurricane-affected communities. (NPR)

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ALSO: More than 550 incarcerated men suffered in North Carolina prison cells without lights or running water for five days after Helene, until they finally were transferred to different facilities. (Intercept)

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SOLAR: A nonprofit and a solar company partner to deliver 33 solar-plus-battery microgrids and dozens more portable batteries to western North Carolina communities that still lack power from Hurricane Helene’s damage. (Associated Press)

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NUCLEAR:

• Georgia Power’s expansion of a nuclear plant cost more than twice its original budget, took 15 years to build and contributed to its original contractors going bankrupt, suggesting a widespread expansion of nuclear power will be costly and take quite a while. (Floodlight)
• West Virginia lawmakers advance legislation to partner with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to take over regulation of certain radioactive materials. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)

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HYDROELECTRIC: A Virginia town council budgets $272,500 for a feasibility study of using a pair of small-flow turbines to run its hydroelectric plant when the James River is low. (Lynchburg News & Advance)

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OIL & GAS: Tennessee farmers protest the Tennessee Valley Authority’s plans to build a gas-fired power plant. (WZTV)

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COAL:

• West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice has relied on a string of unrelated third parties to prop his coal companies up, which has amplified his debt problems while withholding tax revenue from local governments. (Jacobin)
• A federal judge finds merit in retired coal miners’ case against CONSOL Energy for allegedly defrauding them of lifetime health benefits they’d been promised in return for not joining a union. (West Virginia Watch)

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CLIMATE:

• Scientists warn that global warming plus reductions of sulfate aerosol pollution will continue to make hurricanes like those that struck the Southeast in recent weeks even larger and more frequent. (Inside Climate News)
• A federal analysis shows that every dollar spent on flood-protection projects such as levees, dams and pump stations saves taxpayers between $2 to $6, depending on the project, in disaster recovery money. (NOLA.com)
• Analysis of federal data finds just 2% of properties in western North Carolina were flagged as a “Special Flood Hazard Area,” meaning FEMA vastly underestimated the flood risk in areas that were slammed by Hurricane Helene. (Washington Post)

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COAL ASH: Tennessee officials learn about the Tennessee Valley Authority’s plan to spend $1 billion into improving how it stores coal ash byproducts. (Gallatin News)

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EFFICIENCY: An Alabama electric cooperative offers energy efficiency rebates through a Tennessee Valley Authority program. (Cullman Tribune)

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POLITICS:

• The double-shot of Hurricanes Helene and Milton fails to move congressional Republicans to address climate change and its contributions to worsening storms. (E&E News)
• Texas voters consider candidates for a statewide seat on a three-person regulatory board that oversees the oil and gas industry. (Houston Chronicle)
• Donald Trump criticizes the White House for its response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton, trying to incite anger in the 2024 presidential campaign’s homestretch. (E&E News, Associated Press)

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COMMENTARY: An editor considers the complicated question of whether climate change is leading more people to move to mountainous Appalachia. (Cardinal News)

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GRID: The flooding that accompanied Hurricane Helene could push utilities in Appalachia to rethink the region’s power grid, described by one official as a “really far-flung set of distribution lines going up into the hills and serving different communities.” (Grist)

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ALSO:

• Hurricane Milton killed at least 12 people and knocked out power to 3.4 million customers in Florida, with experts expecting prices for electricity and natural gas to plunge. (New York Times, S&P Global)
• Some areas along Florida’s west coast may have to wait weeks for their power to be restored after back-to-back hits from hurricanes Helene and Milton. (Herald-Tribune)

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CLIMATE:

• Pressed by back-to-back hurricanes, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has already spent half of its annual budget for disaster relief just eight days into the fiscal year. (Politico)
• The double whammy of Hurricanes Helene and Milton is likely to push insurers to further raise rates in Florida, exposing the state’s already fragile property insurance market and its reliance on emergency charges and funds to cover catastrophic disasters. (E&E News)

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SOLAR:

• New Orleans’ city council votes to consider proposals for a distributed power grid, in which rooftop solar and other individual generators of power can be linked to form a grid. (Louisiana Illuminator)
• A company begins operation of a 306 MW solar farm in Texas. (Renewables Now)

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CARBON CAPTURE: Exxon Mobil announces it’s secured leases for 271,000 acres in waters off Texas for an offshore carbon capture project. (Reuters)

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EFFICIENCY: Louisiana receives $32 million in federal funds to weatherize and improve energy efficiency at senior living complexes. (NOLA.com)

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UTILITIES:

• Environmental groups allege in a new lawsuit that the Tennessee Valley Authority didn’t adequately assess the effects of its plans to replace a coal-fired power plant with natural gas. (Bloomberg, subscription; news release)
• The Tennessee Valley Authority refuses to share information on which large customers are part of its demand-response program in Memphis, Tennessee, or how much power they cut when the grid was stressed.  (Daily Memphian, subscription)

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OIL & GAS:

• Another gas well without a clear owner blows out in Texas, marking the eighth time this has happened in the past year. (Texas Tribune)
• A natural gas utility opens a workforce training facility in West Virginia. (WV Metro News)

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PIPELINES: Federal regulators assert they have the power to extend the deadline for the Mountain Valley Pipeline to build a spur into North Carolina despite the objections of environmentalists. (West Virginia Public Broadcasting)

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POLITICS:

• With just weeks until the presidential election, conspiracy theories about Hurricanes Helene and Milton run wild on social media despite even Republican officials trying to debunk them. (New York Times, Florida Phoenix)
• Vice President Kamala Harris criticizes Donald Trump for attacking the federal response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton, suggesting he’s trying to leverage the disasters to his advantage. (Associated Press)

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COMMENTARY: As Virginia deals with a surge of data center development, state officials should keep an eye on a utility’s proposal in Ohio that would require data centers to pay for at least 90% of the power they ask for, regardless of whether they end up using all of it, writes a columnist. (Virginia Mercury)

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