Energy news in brief

** The 2021-2022 school year is right around the corner and Reliant is teaming up with local nonprofits and school districts to help families get a head start and prepare for the classroom. The electricity provider is donating more than 10,000 back-to-school kits, including school supplies such as pencils, notebooks, folders, and more, to students in pre-K through 12th grade.

** The Tennessee Valley Authority sees a 10-year high in August power demand amid a summer heat wave.

** The president of the National Black Lung Association calls on U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin to back a tax increase on coal companies to support medical care and disability benefits for miners.

** Wyoming’s drilling activity on public lands has tripled during the Interior Department’s oil and gas leasing pause.

** Facebook plans to power a new, $800 million data center in Mesa, Arizona, using 450 MW of capacity from three new solar installations.

** A North Dakota county was the fastest-growing county in the nation as the oil industry fueled a population that more than doubled over the last decade, according to U.S. Census data released this week.

** A new study finds that the wildfire smoke blanketing much of the drought-wracked Western U.S. could result in less rain by affecting the way droplets form in clouds.