Good morning! Everyone living in a rural area hates big solar farms, right? Not true. Kathiann Kowalski reports on how deceptive public comments almost derailed an Ohio project.
Also, in a webinar next week Jeff St. John will discuss the impact of data centers on the power grid with four experts on the subject. Sign up here, and keep an eye out for the four-part reporting series publishing next week on the same subject.
Electric and fuel-cell truck startup Nikola, once valued more than Ford at $30 billion, files for bankruptcy protection after failing to raise money or find a buyer. (CNBC)
POLITICS
A top prosecutor at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., resigns over Trump’s order to investigate the EPA’s $20 billion green bank program. (Politico)
GRID
Solar, battery storage, and wind projects can be built far more quickly than gas and nuclear plants, making them a reliable solution as grid operators and utilities face growing power demand, according to a new study from Energy Innovation Policy & Technology. (RTO Insider, subscription)
A Texas pilot program uses residential solar panels and batteries, smart thermostats, electric vehicle batteries, and other community resources to form a “virtual power plant” that contributes energy to the state grid. (Texas Tribune)
FOSSIL FUELS
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers creates a new class of permits for fossil fuel projects under Trump’s emergency declaration to streamline their approval. (New York Times)
A coalition of energy companies, trade groups, and advocates sends a letter to congressional leaders asking them to preserve the hydrogen tax credit on the grounds that it will “propel the United States to global energy dominance.” (Heatmap)
OFFSHORE WIND
One of the parent companies of Vineyard Wind, one of the country’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farms, eliminates 50 jobs “in light of recent market uncertainties,” a spokesperson says. (CAI)
OVERSIGHT
Federal officials give West Virginia the authority to regulate carbon capture projects, as it joins Louisiana, North Dakota, and Wyoming as the only states with regulatory primacy over the industry. (Reuters)
ATTENTION CHICAGO: UPCOMING EVENT
On stage: Conversations with clean energy experts, including Rep. Sean Casten of the U.S. Congress, Naomi Davis of Blacks in Green, Kara Demirjian Huss of TCCI Manufacturing, A.J. Patton of 548 Enterprises, David Roberts of Volts, Angela Tovar of the city of Chicago and Lisa Clemmons Stott of the Illinois Department of Commerce.
Off stage: Drink, eat, and socialize with clean energy leaders, investors, inventors, public leaders, and advocates.
🗓️March 27, 2025, 2:00 - 7:00p.m. CDT
📍 mHUB • 1623 West Fulton Street Chicago, IL 60612
Whether you’re at the beginning of your cloud adoption journey or looking to optimize your existing infrastructure to save costs and unlock innovation, this guide from Microsoft can help you chart a course through the dynamic landscape of digital transformation, facilitating security and compliance and aligning with industry-leading best practices.
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