Geothermal’s new digs

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12 May 2026

Good morning! Across the U.S., millions of oil and gas wells sit abandoned, many of them leaking methane and polluting groundwater. But what if those sites could be transformed to produce clean, geothermal energy? The idea is gaining traction in states from Alabama to Colorado, Maria Gallucci reports.

Next up, Jeff St. John takes us to New York City, where a real estate giant has found a way to curb its energy consumption. The company has partnered with startup Parity to install indoor temperature sensors across three Manhattan buildings, which communicate with AC and heating units to minimize electricity and gas use — and help the buildings meet NYC’s ambitious emissions targets.

NEW FROM CANARY MEDIA

Can the US harness old oil and gas wells to produce geothermal energy?

by Maria Gallucci

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Software is helping this real estate giant burn less gas in NYC

by Jeff St. John

TODAY'S TOP NEWS

FOSSIL FUELS

The U.S. EPA proposes rule changes that would let gas power plants, data centers, and factories start building non-polluting components before they secure federal air pollution permits. (Inside Climate News)
President Donald Trump says he will move to suspend the federal gas tax, though he’ll need Congress’ support to get it done. (Associated Press)
U.S. energy production hit a new high last year, driven largely by rising output of natural gas, crude oil, and renewables, and marking four straight years of new records. (EIA)

BATTERIES

As Ford prepares to open its BlueOval EV battery complex in Michigan in collaboration with Chinese company CATL, experts wonder whether this could pave the way for further U.S.-China collaboration on batteries and other tech. (Bloomberg)

GRID

PJM Interconnection officials once again face criticism from state leaders at their latest meeting over affordability and reliability concerns, with Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) saying the grid operator “failed to get ahead of” the data center boom. (E&E News)

GEOTHERMAL

Next-generation geothermal startup Fervo Energy revises the terms of its IPO to issue 70 million shares at $25 to $26 per share, up from 55.5 million shares at $21 to $24. (news release, Reuters)

SOLAR

The Solar Energy Industries Association appoints former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a Republican, as its new president and CEO, in a sign that the organization will try to raise GOP support for renewables. (PV Magazine)

HYDROPOWER

Trump signs a bill that will let FERC give recently relicensed hydropower projects more time to start construction, a move that could aid dozens of facilities across 15 states. (E&E News)

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