A new study that focused on where data centers should be built across the U.S. cautioned that the net zero promises of tech companies aren’t likely to hold up against the energy and water needs of the massive facilities. Published in the journal Nature Communications, the study also showed pluses and minuses when it comes to …
Category: Wind Energy
Energy briefs
** FirstEnergy wants to add $108 million to the rates paid by customers of its Ohio utilities so the company can avoid taking a loss for a corporate accounting foul-up flagged repeatedly in audits by state and federal utility regulators. A 2022 audit by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission found that FirstEnergy’s subsidiaries may have mischarged customers for corporate …
Energy Brief: Solar Panels, FAA Orders, Nuclear Disputes
Solar Panel Maker Qcells Furloughs 1,300 Workers Solar panel maker Qcells announces it will furlough 1,000 workers and 300 staffing agency employees at its Georgia factories. U.S. customs officials detained shipments of solar cells at U.S. ports because of a 2021 law banning imports from a region of China. These detentions disrupt manufacturing continuity. Qcells …
Energy Brief: Ford EV Sales, Natural Gas, Data Centers
Ford Considers F-150 Lightning Withdrawal as EV Sales Expectations Fall Ford reportedly discussed scrapping its electric F-150 Lightning. The automaker expects energy sector EV sales to fall over the next few years. Ford leadership now questions near term EV adoption curves. The company sees stubborn pricing compression and higher consumer hesitancy. Industry analysts said weakening …
Oil group fights OGE battery project
CWIP request triggers new internal energy divide One of the groups that signed on in support of the controversial CWIP request by Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company to cover construction costs for added electric generation projects is also putting up a strong fight against one part of the utility’s request. Additionally, this dispute puts a …
Energy Brief: Amazon, China COP30, Russia refinery
Amazon power supply complaint ** Amazon files a complaint with Oregon regulators accusing PacifiCorp of failing to meet obligations to provide the tech giant’s data centers with sufficient power.Additionally, this signals growing strain between hyperscale load and regulated utility delivery as rapid data center buildout accelerates U.S. electricity demand. Georgia utility election backlash ** Georgia …
Grid plans $8.6 billion toward more transmission lines
Southwest Power Pool approves massive 2025 plan The Southwest Power Pool announced support of more electric transmission lines in its 14-state grid and approval of $8.6 billion toward an expansion of the electric grid. Additionally, this scale of infrastructure deployment signals one of the largest structural grid modernization cycles in SPP’s history. Also, Oklahoma Energy …
Energy Brief: U.S. magnet deal, COP30 absence, NY gas
Energy Brief ** The Trump administration announces a $1.4 billion deal with Vulcan Elements and ReElement Technologies, consisting of federal loans and private investments, to produce rare-earth magnets in the U.S. used in EV motors, data centers, and other electronics.** | This accelerates domestic critical mineral capacity and shifts supply chain leverage back toward U.S. …
Wind farms supply 40% of electrical power now in Texas
ERCOT demand hits record highs Since 2021, electricity demand within the Texas electricity grid operated by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has steadily increased.Additionally, Oklahoma Energy investors track this Texas surge because regional transmission expansion pressures cross-state planning models. In the first nine months of 2025, electricity demand in ERCOT, which manages about …
Official—electric co-ops stay away from data centers
“Now, the rise of AI and its driving need for more data center capacity is turning the electricity supply situation upside down across the United States.” A former member of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission warned rural electric co-ops should stay away from making contracts to supply power to AI and data centers. …