Data center opposition reaches a fever pitch
Data centers and their potential to use huge amounts of energy became a top concern in 2025, especially in hot spots like Virginia and Texas. State legislatures introduced close to 200 bills regarding data centers this year, with about 50 aimed at incentivizing their development, and others targeting their impact on the environment and on electricity costs for other consumers.
Energy affordability defines state elections
More big energy stories
Ford trades EV ambitions for battery storage
From electrifying its bestselling F-150 to building a massive manufacturing complex in Tennessee, Ford once aspired to lead the EV transition. That all changed this week as the company announced it will incur nearly $20 billion in charges to extricate itself from its EV investments. That Tennessee facility, known as BlueOval City, will build gas-powered trucks in lieu of electric models, and production of the F-150 Lightning will end.
But as Ford backs away from EVs, it’s entering a new market. The automaker will repurpose its Kentucky EV battery facility to build grid-scale batteries instead. As Canary Media’s Julian Spector put it, Ford is essentially copying Tesla’s game plan to expand into storage — but without an EV stronghold to fall back on, it could be a risky move.
Another coal plant restart — and more to follow?
As you read above, the Trump administration’s coal plant restarts are a huge piece of its fossil-fuel-boosting agenda, and we got two more updates on that front this week. On Tuesday, the DOE ordered Unit 2 of TransAlta’s Centralia, Washington, coal power plant to stay open for the next 90 days. TransAlta has been planning since 2011 to shutter the facility, and was prepared to do so this month to comply with a Washington state law prohibiting coal burning that takes effect next year.
A similar situation may soon play out in Indiana, Canary Media’s Kari Lydersen reports. Two coal plants in the state are supposed to close this month, but their owners have told regulators they anticipate orders from the Trump administration will keep the facilities running.
Also this week: The U.S. House passed a bill that will broaden the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s authority to keep power plants online past their scheduled retirements.
Clean energy news to know this week
Not so fast: The U.S. House passes the SPEED Act, an attempt at revamping the National Environmental Policy Act to hasten energy project permitting, but the bill faces a big hurdle in the Senate: opposition from climate-hawk Democrats. (Inside Climate News)
The sun is setting: Solar companies face a “mad rush” of customers looking to get panels before federal tax credits expire, leading to installation delays that could cause many hopeful buyers to miss out on the incentives. (The Verge)
Can you dig it? A Colorado coal town prepares for the closure of its nearby power plant by building an industrial park that aims to attract businesses by offering low-cost geothermal heating and cooling. (Canary Media)
Fusion fight: China pulls ahead in its race with the U.S. to prove and commercialize fusion energy technology, largely because it’s devoting far more resources to the effort. (New York Times)
Keeping renewables rolling: Tribal nations look to loans and philanthropy to keep building planned clean energy projects after the Trump administration revokes the Solar for All program and other federal funding. (Utility Dive)
Planning committee: A New Hampshire program that deploys experts to help small towns plan for a transition to clean energy inspires a federally funded nationwide pilot. (Canary Media)
Winter woes: The National Energy Assistance Directors Association predicts U.S. home heating prices will rise an average of 9.2% this winter compared to last — about three times the rate of inflation — thanks to increasing gas and electricity prices and cold conditions. (New York Times, news release)
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Great Job Kathryn Krawczyk & the Team @ Canary Media Source link for sharing this story.
