Good morning. President Trump’s federal funding freeze has slowed the installation of electric vehicle chargers across the country. But today’s top stories show how Kentucky and Virginia are stepping in to fill the gap.
And, the data center boom has upended projections for power demand, forcing policymakers to grapple with their growth and utilities to suggest falling back on fossil fuels. Is it possible data centers can actually boost clean energy?
Canary Media’s Jeff St. John is tackling the topic in a multi-part series. This afternoon, he’ll host a webinar to discuss the growing challenges facing data centers and the power grid. Sign up for it here.
TODAY'S TOP NEWS
ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Virginia lawmakers approve a bill to establish a state fund to help developers cover the cost of building electric vehicle chargers in rural areas away from interstates. (Cardinal News)
Kentucky officials confirm the state will continue to invest in electric vehicle stations despite Trump’s suspension of nearly $70 million in federal funding for that purpose. (Paducah Sun)
A Florida school district rolls out the first five electric school buses in what it expects to be a fleet of at least 20. (Palm Beach Post)
GRID
Virginia’s struggles to manage its booming data center industry point to how the power-hungry facilities can overload the grid and result in construction and delayed retirements for fossil fuel plants, but also how they can drive clean energy growth. (Canary Media)
The Texas grid experiences record-breaking wintertime demand for two consecutive days amid a cold snap, but the grid’s live data dashboards show it still had power to spare. (Houston Chronicle)
Puerto Rico’s newly elected governor threatens to terminate the contract of a private company that’s managed the island’s power grid since taking over from the troubled state-owned utility. (Daily Energy Insider)
NUCLEAR
Texas officials aggressively court the re-emerging nuclear sector with public land and taxpayer funding. (Inside Climate News/Texas Tribune)
POLITICS
“We need a partner in FEMA”: Trump’s desire to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency takes on new urgency in Kentucky after severe flooding wrecks the eastern part of the state for the second time this decade. (Lexington Herald-Leader)
West Virginia grapples with severe flooding from heavy rain this month, but its new governor followed suit with his predecessor by failing to propose directing any money toward the state’s flood protection fund. (Mountain State Spotlight)
ACTIVISM
A civil rights leader who coined the term “environmental racism” in 1981 over a toxic North Carolina dump discusses the link between civil rights and environmentalism. (Living on Earth)
UTILITIES
Virginia lawmakers approve legislation to shield Appalachian Power customers from rising bills through moratoriums on late fees and increasing rates during the winter. (Roanoke Times)
Residents of South Carolina and Tennessee grapple with soaring power bills. (WACH, WBIR)
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