Good morning. Texas approved its first 765-kV power lines, a North Carolina utility regulator omitted industry-funded trips from his ethics filing, and California moved to put data-center grid costs on the facilities driving them.
Top Stories
TEXAS APPROVES ITS FIRST 765-KV POWER LINES
The Texas Tribune
Regulators cleared two Oncor segments totaling roughly 360 miles across at least 30 counties, letting the utility begin acquiring easements despite a landowner revolt and a still-pending motion to defer. They are the first approvals under the $33 billion Permian Basin reliability plan.
REGULATOR OMITTED INDUSTRY-FUNDED TRIPS FROM ETHICS FILING
The News & Observer / The Herald-Sun
North Carolina Utilities Commissioner Tommy Tucker attended three conferences paid for by conservative energy groups but reported no travel scholarships. Google representatives attended while the company was negotiating a large-load tariff before Tucker's commission.
CALIFORNIA PUTS DATA-CENTER GRID COSTS ON DATA CENTERS
Los Angeles Times
Lawmakers agreed on special electricity rates and upfront payment for grid upgrades tied to new data-center load. California's grid operator projects up to $1.8 billion in upgrades from data-center growth in PG&E territory.
TRUMP SUMMONS OIL EXECUTIVES OVER GASOLINE PRICES
Reuters
The president is hosting industry leaders after accusing refiners of gouging drivers and ordering scrutiny of Exxon and Chevron. Gasoline averaged $3.93 a gallon, down 14% from May but still well above January, even as crude fell 36% from its peak.
OHIO UTILITIES KEPT BUILDING WHILE A COMPLAINT SAT AT FERC
Utility Dive
The state's consumer advocate says local transmission projects have escaped review for need, prudence and cost-effectiveness during a three-year delay. The spending has ballooned partly to connect Meta, Amazon and Google data centers.
Power & Grid
MICROSOFT CHALLENGES ITS OWN $500 MILLION GRID DEAL
Wisconsin Watch / Milwaukee NNS
Microsoft and Wisconsin's ratepayer advocate asked FERC to reject or overhaul a 15-year billing plan for Mount Pleasant transmission work. Both say the proposal could still shift data-center costs onto other customers.
PALISADES LOADS FUEL FOR HISTORIC NUCLEAR RESTART
WSJM
Crews began loading 204 fuel assemblies into the 805-MW Michigan reactor, the biggest physical milestone yet in the first attempted restart of a shuttered U.S. nuclear plant. Holtec still has not set a startup date.
RENEWABLE CAPACITY COULD PASS GAS BY NEXT SUMMER
Electrek
EIA projects 54.1 GW of new utility-scale renewable capacity through June 2027. If small solar keeps adding roughly 6 GW a year, total renewable capacity would reach about 546 GW, ahead of gas at 518 GW.
GARY LOST POWER FOR TWO WEEKS, THEN LOST ITS RESILIENCE MONEY
Canary Media
Thousands endured one of the longest U.S. outages in recent memory after storms hit northwest Indiana. A canceled $117 million Solar for All award had included batteries, microgrids and resilience hubs for communities including Gary.
FIRST NATIONS EXPLORE A FLOATING NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
CBC News
Two Mi'kmaw communities are considering an Indigenous-owned transportable reactor near New Brunswick's Belledune coal plant. A first phase could serve 40,000 homes, but the technology remains unbuilt and has no promised provincial backing.
Data Centers
PPL VENTURE SECURES 7,200 ACRES FOR 2.25 GW OF GAS PLANTS
The Times-Tribune
A PPL-Blackstone venture acquired more than 11 square miles across five Pennsylvania municipalities while seeking grid connections for two data-center power plants. Some of the land borders a reservoir supplying 2 million gallons of drinking water daily.
SPACEX WILL CAST ITS OWN GAS-TURBINE PARTS
Business Insider
Elon Musk says an in-house blade-and-vane foundry in Bastrop, Texas, could bring turbines online up to 18 months faster. He says gas will be needed to supplement solar for several years as AI power demand outruns equipment supply.
DELAWARE TELLS DATA CENTERS TO BRING THEIR OWN POWER
Delaware Public Media
Gov. Matt Meyer signed four bills requiring large loads to supply their own electricity or file a 10-year ramp plan. The package also creates a higher rate class, blocks state tax incentives and limits Delmarva Power's nonessential spending.
THE AI BACKLASH HIRES THE CLIMATE MOVEMENT
The Atlantic
Veterans of Sunrise Movement and 350.org launched Irreplaceable to organize opposition around jobs, surveillance and catastrophic AI risks. The group plans to build a coalition first and develop a unified policy agenda next year.
VIRGINIA BULK-BUYS ROOFTOP SOLAR AS DATA-CENTER RATES RISE
Canary Media
The first statewide group-purchasing campaign has drawn 4,300 inquiries and 120 contracts. Organizers expect installation discounts of 20% to 30% and average annual bill savings of about $2,200.
Stat of the Day
$4.3 billion
Ohio transmission spending added during a three-year wait at FERC
The complaint asking whether any of it was justified is still undecided.
Utility Dive ↗