Good morning. North Carolina rejected a $584 million gas turbine, New Jersey fined a data center $1.07 million and Ohio revived an 800-MW solar project. Regulators are starting to say no.
Top Stories
NORTH CAROLINA REJECTS DUKE'S $584 MILLION GAS TURBINE
Utility Dive
Regulators denied the 255-MW unit at the Smith Energy Complex, across the street from Amazon's planned $10 billion campus, calling the cost staggering and Duke's data-center load forecast too unreliable to act on. The commission has repeatedly approved Duke's general buildout plans, which makes denying a specific permit a rare step; one commissioner dissented.
AMAZON DEFENDS 7.65-GW TEXAS GAS PLAN
Axios
Amazon's sustainability chief says the company remains committed to its climate pledge while backing a Pecos County power complex with as many as 35 gas turbines. The proposed plant would supply the GW Ranch data-center campus.
76 BIG UTILITIES GET ANOTHER FAILING GRADE
Canary Media
The Sierra Club says utilities plan to close only 25% of their coal capacity by 2030, down from 29% in last year's report. Their planned gas generation equals roughly one-quarter of average U.S. electricity demand, with AI data centers driving much of the growth.
U.S. SOLAR FACTORY SPENDING HITS $12.2 BILLION
pv magazine USA
Terawatt PV Research estimates post-IRA manufacturing investment will account for more than half of all U.S. solar-factory spending since 2001. Annual capital spending has topped $2.5 billion since 2023, and Texas has passed Ohio in module output.
CHRIS WRIGHT SELLS THE ENERGY-DOMINANCE AGENDA
The New York Times
The former Liberty Energy chief has become the administration's public salesman for more U.S. energy production and exports. His pitch spans oil and gas, nuclear power and geothermal development while rejecting net-zero climate policy.
Power & Grid
OHIO REVIVES 800-MW SOLAR PROJECT
The Columbus Dispatch
The siting board voted 7-2 to reapprove Oak Run after the state Supreme Court required more review of its substation views. The Madison County project pairs 800 MW of solar with 300 MW of batteries and plans to graze about 1,000 sheep among the panels.
STATES TARGET TRANSMISSION OWNERS' 0.5% BONUS
Utility Dive
New England states asked FERC to remove the return-on-equity adder for Maine utilities now that state law requires ISO-NE membership. Maine says the incentive added about $6 million to regional charges in 2024, including roughly $700,000 paid by its customers.
BATTERIES CUT $29 MILLION IN CALIFORNIA PEAK COSTS
Utility Dive
RMI says storage supplied 13% to 19% of generation during California's tightest hours in 2024, avoiding more than $29 million in peak-energy costs. Its 30% growth headline relies on an older forecast; Wood Mackenzie's current outlook calls for flat utility-scale deployment this year and 8% growth through 2031.
X-ENERGY'S FEDERAL BACKING REACHES $2.15 BILLION
Canary Media
DOE's support covers four 80-MW Xe-100 reactors at Dow's Seadrift complex and X-energy's Texas fuel plant. The demonstration scope is expected to cost at least $4.2 billion, and Dow does not expect a final investment decision before 2028.
KANSAS OPENS 180-MILE TRANSMISSION REVIEW
KSN-TV
Sunflower Electric and ITC Great Plains propose a 345-kV line from the Holcomb substation near Garden City to the Colorado border. The route crosses eight counties; hearings are set for September 28 and 29, with written comments due October 9.
Data Centers
NEW JERSEY FINES DATAONE $1.07 MILLION
NorthJersey.com
State inspectors found 62 natural-gas generators operating at the Vineland campus without required permits. New Jersey ordered DataOne to apply for approval or stop running the 1,982-kW units, which the company calls temporary power for the Nebius facility.
OHIO COURT BLOCKS AWS BALLOT RESTRICTIONS
Engineering News-Record
The state Supreme Court kept a Wilmington ordinance off the ballot because its citizen-lawsuit provision exceeded municipal authority. The measure targeted noise, emissions and water use at AWS's planned $4 billion campus; a separate federal zoning case continues.
DATA-CENTER SENTIMENT TURNS SHARPLY NEGATIVE
Pew Research Center
Fifty-four percent of Americans now say data centers are bad for the environment, up from 39% in January. Half say they hurt home energy costs and 49% cite nearby quality of life, while only 4% see a positive effect in each area.
OPENAI AND ANTHROPIC HUNT FOR SMALLER SITES
Tom's Hardware
The companies are reportedly seeking 20-MW to 30-MW deals for inference capacity while their gigawatt-scale campuses are built. Smaller facilities can come online faster and face fewer grid, land and permitting constraints.
DATA CENTERS BECOME A SENATE-RACE LIABILITY
Newsweek
An NBC News poll gives Democrats a 32%-to-20% edge on trust to handle data centers, and 64% of voters say they would be less likely to back a candidate supporting one nearby. Eight of nine competitive Senate races are in states with planned projects.
Stat of the Day
60%
Americans uncomfortable with a new local data center
Only 7% told Pew they would be very or extremely comfortable with one operating nearby.
Pew Research Center ↗