In his State of the Commonwealth Address this week, Gov. Glenn Youngkin made the case that Virginia needs to ramp up energy production. Specifically, he said that energy production needed to be nearly doubled over the next 10 years.
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Harsh Realities Confront Maryland and Its Bold Climate Plans
Inside Climate News
Maryland state agencies have rolled out a suite of ambitious climate action plans for 2025, aiming to slash emissions and propel the state toward a clean energy future. But the road ahead is riddled with financial uncertainties and operational ambiguities.
Virginia Legislation Attempts to Combat Growing Impacts of Climate Crisis
Virginia Mercury
As the climate crisis accelerates, so do the number of bills in the Virginia General Assembly to address resilience, adaptation and education. Some, like an attempt to require flood risk disclosure to potential buyers, are back after being tabled last year. Others are new efforts to build a foundation addressing the effects of a warming climate and rising sea levels.
State Officials Tout Progress on Electric Cars — But Acknowledge the Trump ‘Elephant in This Room’
Maryland Matters
Top Moore administration officials told state lawmakers Wednesday that they’re committed to implementing aggressive mandates for the sale of electric vehicles in the years ahead. But they acknowledged that the push to put more battery-operated vehicles on the road faces multiple challenges — and that the task just became harder now that President Donald Trump is back in office.
Blackstone to Acquire 774-MW Virginia Gas Plant in ‘Data Center Alley’ in Reported $1B Deal
Power
Prominent private equity investment firm Blackstone has agreed to acquire the 774-MW Potomac Energy Center—a natural gas power plant located in Virginia’s “Data Center Alley”—in a deal reportedly valued at approximately $1 billion, according to sources familiar with the matter.
National and International News
Trump Plans to Use Emergency Powers to Fast-Track Generation Co-Located With AI
Utility Dive
President Donald Trump plans to speed power plant development for co-located artificial intelligence data centers using his energy emergency declaration, he said Thursday.
Heat Pumps Keep Widening Their Lead on Gas Furnaces
Canary Media
Heat pumps just keep getting hotter. The über-efficient, emissions-free appliance looks almost certain to have outsold gas furnaces in 2024 — and by a bigger margin than ever.
Trump’s Order to End E.V. Subsidies Draws Pushback and Doubt
New York Times
If President Trump has his way, the auto industry’s transition to electric vehicles will soon slam into reverse. He will erase tax credits for electric-vehicle purchases, federal grants for chargers, and subsidies and loans to help retool assembly lines and build battery factories.
The US Wants to Cut Food Waste in Half. We’re Not Even Close
Grist
The United States is nowhere near its goal of cutting food waste in half by 2030, according to new analysis from the University of California, Davis.
Oregon to Host Nation’s Largest Solar-Plus-Storage Installation
Canary Media
In northeastern Oregon, nearly 9,500 acres of farmland will soon be transformed into a 1,200-megawatt solar project. State regulators approved Sunstone Solar, the nation’s largest proposed solar-plus-storage facility, last fall. Once up and running, the project will include up to 7,200 megawatt-hours of storage, and its nearly four million solar panels will produce enough clean electricity to power around 800,000 homes each year. Construction will begin in 2026.