Infrastructure

"The U.S. just hit a big milestone: It got more power from solar panels than from coal plants in May."

"A hidden circulatory system pulses just beneath the planet’s surface. There, embedded in the soil, are dense networks of microorganisms known as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. These fungi attach themselves to the roots of plants, sending long, thin filaments out through the soil. These ferry water and nutrients to plants and whisk away carbon, helping to keep vast quantities of it out of the atmosphere."

"Qcells has officially begun commercial production of silicon solar cells at its factory in Cartersville, Georgia, the company said Tuesday. That factory is the largest of its kind in the country — and a long-awaited boost to the U.S. solar supply chain."

“A federal judge over the weekend struck down a Trump administration effort to restrict tax credits for wind and solar energy.”

“The carmaker will follow Tesla in making components for large batteries used by electric utilities, data centers and other businesses to handle fluctuations in power supply and demand.”

“The Supreme Court has directed a lower court to rethink a ruling that upheld Biden-era efficiency regulations for commercial water heaters and consumer furnaces."

“Wildlife department says drought conditions and water released from dam led to ‘major fish kill’ at San Carlos Lake.”

“Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) said Friday he is pausing the state’s data center tax incentives starting in July amid a push to address concerns about electricity costs and water resources that have plagued the AI infrastructure build-out nationwide."

“The Champlain Hudson Power Express is bringing tons of hydropower to the city — but amid years of drought, can Canada spare the clean electricity?”

"The environmental footprint of data centers already rivals some of the world’s largest countries, according to a United Nations University report, which also predicts their water and energy use and pollution will double in just four years as use of artificial intelligence grows."