TVA approves power for Musk’s Memphis AI project

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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