Good morning. Amazon is paying to study 960 MW of nuclear power in Indiana, while Greg Abbott's data center crackdown runs into $9 million of campaign money.
Top Stories
ABBOTT TOOK $9 MILLION FROM DATA CENTER-LINKED DONORS
The Texas Tribune
Gov. Greg Abbott received about 13% of his campaign money since July 2025 from donors tied directly or indirectly to data centers. The industry gave him $2.8 million after he paused new grid connections and said developers had earned the public backlash.
AMAZON FUNDS A 960-MW NUCLEAR STUDY AT A RETIRED INDIANA COAL PLANT
South Bend Tribune
Amazon, AEP and X-energy will study 12 Xe-100 small modular reactors at the former Breed Generating Station in Sullivan County. Amazon is funding development and plans to become the first buyer under a project designed to protect AEP customers from the cost.
GOOGLE'S 780-MW CAMPUS WOULD ADD 1.9 GW OF CLEAN POWER
CNBC
Google's proposed Minnesota data center would help finance 1,400 MW of wind, 200 MW of solar and 300 MW of batteries. It must pay for at least 75% of contracted capacity and could owe eight years of minimum charges if it exits early. Minnesota's attorney general has asked regulators to withhold approval until other customers are better protected.
SIX LAWSUITS STOP CALIFORNIA'S BIGGEST PROPOSED AI DATA CENTER
The Guardian
A nearly 1-million-square-foot, 330-MW campus in Imperial County is paused after lawsuits, recall efforts, a temporary moratorium and a judge's order requiring full environmental review. The developer says he invested about $5 million before the backlash stopped the project.
TRUMP PUTS $42 MILLION BEHIND THE REVIVED CONSTITUTION PIPELINE
Fox Business
DOE will use Defense Production Act money for permitting and preconstruction work on the 125-mile line from Pennsylvania into New York. The 650,000-dekatherm-per-day project was abandoned in 2020 after a state water-permit fight; Williams now targets winter 2028 service.
Power & Grid
NEXTERA'S $4 MILLION TRUMP GIFT CLOUDS THE DOMINION DEAL
Utility Dive
Watchdogs want scrutiny of NextEra's White House ballroom donation while federal and state regulators review its Dominion acquisition. The combined company would have 10 million customers, a $138 billion rate base and more than 130 GW of proposed large loads.
ILLINOIS' FIRST BATTERY PROCUREMENT MISSES ITS TARGET
Canary Media
The state contracted for 600 MW of storage, less than two-thirds of its initial goal. ComEd territory secured only one 80-MW project, while developers say PJM's uncertain interconnection timeline is making them hesitate.
HOCHUL'S ENERGY WARNING BECOMES AN ATTACK LINE AGAINST HER
POLITICO
Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman is using the governor's own warnings about higher energy costs to attack New York's climate and power policies. Electricity affordability is moving to the center of another statewide race.
CALIFORNIA LETS HOUSEHOLDS TAKE CASH INSTEAD OF A NEW GAS LINE
Grist
Utilities can now offer customers electrification payments when converting appliances costs less than extending or replacing gas infrastructure. The program turns avoided pipeline spending into money for heat pumps, electric water heaters and other upgrades.
NEW YORK REPUBLICANS TARGET DISCOUNTED DATA CENTER POWER
Lohud
GOP lawmakers want the New York Power Authority to disclose how electricity discounts for data centers are awarded and whether other customers absorb any of the cost. The fight adds a subsidy angle to the state's broader power-bill debate.
Data Centers
MORE THAN 100 NEW JERSEY TOWNS MOVE AGAINST DATA CENTERS
NJ.com
Municipal bans and restrictions have spread across the state as residents push back on power, water, noise and land use. Developers are now suing some towns, turning the zoning revolt into a wider legal fight.
AN IDLED ALCOA SMELTER BECOMES A $315 MILLION DATA CENTER SITE
Data Center Dynamics
Alcoa agreed to sell part of its Massena East site to an unnamed data center developer. It expects $50 million to $65 million at closing and as much as $250 million more as electrical capacity is approved and commissioned over seven years.
AURORA RECONSIDERS AN INDEFINITE DATA CENTER MORATORIUM
Sentinel Colorado
Mayor Mike Coffman called a special meeting after casting the deciding vote against a six-month pause in August. He now backs an indefinite moratorium as opposition to the proposed Trident campus keeps growing.
THE DATA CENTER INDUSTRY TAKES ITS PR CAMPAIGN INTO SCHOOLS
WIRED
Operators and trade groups are using field trips, coloring books, classroom projects and career programs to sell the industry's story to students and parents. WIRED found at least 11 companies and groups that hosted student tours since 2025.
PENNSYLVANIA RESIDENTS BUILD A PLAYBOOK TO FIGHT DATA CENTERS
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Chester County residents are forming organizations, hiring lawyers, canvassing neighborhoods and seeking formal standing in court. The tactics show how local opposition is becoming more organized before projects reach a final vote.
Stat of the Day
$1 BILLION
Net cost to other Xcel customers that Minnesota's attorney general estimates from the Google deal
Xcel says the same agreement delivers more than $1.1 billion in net benefits.
KIMT ↗