Maryland electricity prices have surged due to compounding factors: data center construction, the electrification of buildings and transportation, and geopolitical uncertainty. With summer approaching, homeowners will only see higher bills as air conditioners get turned on across the state. More batteries can help.
See the full story at Maryland Matters.
More DMV News
Microsoft’s Clean Energy Reversal Collides With Virginia’s Climate Goals
Inside Climate News
One of the world’s most profitable technology companies could be abandoning an ambitious clean-energy goal in Virginia as it races to build electricity-hungry data centers. Several of the company’s facilities are already operating in Virginia, the data center capital of the world, and more are planned, creating a tension with the state’s own climate commitments.
Elrich Unveils Six-Month Moratorium On Montgomery County Data Center Permits
Maryland Matters
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich signed an executive order Friday that will deny permitting for data centers in the county for a period of six months.
Maryland Lawmakers Back Data Center Transmission Cost Complaint At FERC
Utility Dive
A group of 80 Maryland state lawmakers is backing a complaint at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission over the PJM Interconnection’s cost allocation for transmission lines that support data centers.
A New CEO For Virginia – Chief Energy Officer
Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism
Moments before Josephus Allmond bounded up to the lectern, the 400-plus attendees at a Coalition for Community Solar Access summit in downtown Washington, D.C. could barely contain themselves.
National and International News
Fewer Storms, Not Less Risk: El Niño Will Bring Mixed Results Across US Power Systems
Utility Dive
El Niño has developed in the Pacific Ocean, with warming water potentially upending U.S. weather patterns and complicating electric utility forecasting, say meteorologists at AccuWeather following NOAA’s June 11 declaration.
Trump Administration Abandons Fight Against Wind Energy As Clean Energy Output Surges
Inside Climate News
The Trump administration has abandoned its effort to halt wind energy projects across the United States and dropped its challenge to the court ruling that tossed President Donald Trump’s order freezing federal permitting and leasing for wind projects. States that challenged the order hailed the development as one of the most significant legal victories against the Trump White House’s campaign against the energy transition.
Community Solar Needs Space To Grow. Warehouse Rooftops Have Lots Of It.
Canary Media
Industrial buildings could host gigawatts of shared solar to deliver low-cost power to underserved urban communities — if states and utilities allow it to scale up.
‘Sponge Cities’ Are Catching On. But Can They Handle Supercharged Storms?
Inside Climate News
From sprawling skyscrapers to busy highways, many of the characteristics that make major cities so iconic also put them at risk of severe flooding. When a rainstorm hits, the mostly impermeable materials used to construct roads and sidewalks—such as concrete and asphalt—often wick water into other streets or storm drains.
There’s A Bit Of Good News For Coral Reefs
New York Times
As spiking ocean temperatures are devastating reefs around the world, a handful of scientists have found a reason for cautious optimism. They’ve used artificial intelligence to detect sheltered pockets where cool currents, reduced exposure to sunlight and locations outside cyclone paths mean corals are more likely to survive.