skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Sunday, March 2, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump's promise of 'very big deal' with Zelensky undercut by officials' widespread doubts over Ukraine's resources; Faith leaders call out inhumane heat conditions in U.S. prisons; Texans encouraged to 'decarbonize' buildings to fight climate change; the state of animal waste regulations in Virginia.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Senate Republicans say they'll change the House's budget resolution. Trump questions whether he called the Ukrainian president a 'dictator' ahead of his White House visit, and environmental groups question EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin's call for deregulation.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The federal funding freeze has left U.S. farmers in limbo about their future farm projects, tourists could find public lands in disarray when visiting this summer, while money to fight rural wildfires is in jeopardy.

Report: Data centers drive gas power plant building in NC, Southeast

play audio
Play

Wednesday, January 29, 2025   

Data centers are driving the building of gas-powered plants in the Southeast but it will leave ratepayers on the hook if higher energy needs do not materialize.

A https://ieefa.org/resources/data-centers-drive-buildout-gas-power-plants-and-pipelines-southeast from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis looked at utility and pipeline company plans in North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia. Utilities in the four states are expected to build 20,000 megawatts of natural gas power plants by 2040.

Cathy Kunkel, energy consultant at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis and co-author of the report, said it is despite relatively flat energy demand from consumers, which means data centers will be using a lot of power.

"Generally speaking, in the Southeast data centers are responsible for anywhere between two-thirds to more than 85% of this projected demand growth," Kunkel reported.

Kunkel pointed out there is a high risk utility and pipeline companies will overbuild infrastructure because demand from data centers might not materialize, especially with questions around the financial viability and energy usage of artificial intelligence.

If plants are built but companies operating data centers scale back plans, Kunkel stressed utilities would still need to charge those costs to ratepayers.

"It's really important that utility regulators start taking proactive action to make sure that ratepayers and consumers are not on the hook for what may turn out to be a tech industry bubble that results in unneeded electricity infrastructure," Kunkel urged.

Kunkel noted plans to build natural gas plants are in opposition to North Carolina's legislatively mandated climate goals to attain carbon neutrality by 2050.

"These forecasts for data center development and the massive buildout of natural gas infrastructure that the utilities are planning in response is just completely incompatible with the action that should be taken on climate change at the moment," Kunkel contended.

Disclosure: The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis contributes to our fund for reporting on Budget Policy and Priorities, Energy Policy, Environment, and Urban Planning/Transportation. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
The National Cancer Institute has found red and processed meat consumption is associated with higher cancer levels. (Wikimedia Commons)

Social Issues

play sound

By Jessica Scott-Reid for Sentient.Broadcast version by Zamone Perez for Maryland News Connection reporting for the Sentient/Just and Climate-Friendly…


Environment

play sound

School districts and county governments across Texas are being encouraged to consider building decarbonization to combat climate change. The process …

play sound

Virginia has certain restrictions in place for workers handling animal waste in order to avoid contaminating groundwater sources. But one expert says …


The Prison Policy Initiative reports at least 28 states, including Alabama, have faced significant issues with bond forfeitures, raising concerns about accountability in the bail system. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Alabama lawmakers are weighing a proposal to overhaul the state's bail system. House Bill 42, sponsored by Sen. Christopher England, D-Tuscaloosa…

Environment

play sound

A bill in the Idaho Legislature would lower restrictions for allowing chickens in residential areas. The impetus for the legislation from Sen…

According to KFF News, Medicaid helps fill coverage gaps in smaller communities, covering nearly one in four (24%) nonelderly individuals in rural areas. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Minnesota's rural health-care landscape is described as being "stressed" - and the diagnosis could become grimmer if congressional Republicans keep th…

Social Issues

play sound

Community groups are coming together to expand voting rights to all Connecticut residents. The Connecticut Right to Vote Campaign says it aims to …

Social Issues

play sound

As spring approaches, faith leaders and advocates are raising alarms about inhumane heat conditions in U.S. prisons, especially in southern states …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021