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Extremely Hot Weather Cooks Up Unusually Awful Air Pollution [1]

Summertime and the livin' is smoggy. American air may be clearer now than when the Clean Air Act was passed in 1970, but pollutants still abound. Heat and sunlight stoke chemical reactions that exacerbate health hazards. And worsening wildfires mix in harmful smoke. The latest TipSheet has more than a dozen story ideas and reporting resources.

SEJ Publication Types: 
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat: 
Activism [3]
Air [4]
Chemicals [5]
Climate Change [6]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Health [8]
Government [9]
Health [10]
Journalism & Media [11]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Pollution [13]
Transportation [14]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [15]
International [16]
Visibility: 
Public [17]
  • Read more about Extremely Hot Weather Cooks Up Unusually Awful Air Pollution [1]

Taming the Freight Beast [18]

The U.S. freight system delivers significant environmental impacts nationwide, especially in states that host major rail-and-road hubs and seaports. Meanwhile, new federal laws and policies are making it harder to curtail pollution generated by freight trucks, trains and warehouses. Journalist John Lippert looks at how the public, private and nonprofit sectors are rising to this challenge.

SEJ Publication Types: 
Features [19]
Topics on the Beat: 
Activism [3]
Air [4]
Climate Change [6]
Consumer [20]
Economy & Business [21]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Health [8]
Environmental Justice [22]
Environmental Politics [23]
Government [9]
Health [10]
Infrastructure [24]
Journalism & Media [11]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Policy [25]
Pollution [13]
Technology [26]
Transportation [14]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [15]
California [27]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [28]
Visibility: 
Public [17]
  • Read more about Taming the Freight Beast [18]

Plug-In Solar Panels Are Starting to Sprout in U.S. Backyards [29]

"Ten U.S. states have legalized systems that can be plugged into standard wall outlets. The technology typically does not require permits or electricians."

Climate Change [6]
Consumer [20]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Infrastructure [24]
Technology [26]
Public [17]
National (U.S.) [15]
Source: New York Times [30], 08/03/2026
  • Read more about Plug-In Solar Panels Are Starting to Sprout in U.S. Backyards [29]

California Was Mostly Solar-Powered In May — A Global First [31]

"Solar panels produced 51% of California’s electricity in May, the first time the clean energy source surpassed the halfway mark for an entire month. The data counts both large-scale installations and the state’s bounty of rooftop arrays."

Climate Change [6]
Consumer [20]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Infrastructure [24]
Technology [26]
Public [17]
California [27]
Source: Canary Media [32], 08/03/2026
  • Read more about California Was Mostly Solar-Powered In May — A Global First [31]

Trump DOE To Turn Ky. Uranium Plant Into Gas-Powered AI Data Center [33]

"The U.S. Department of Energy is harnessing the artificial intelligence boom in its bid to convert another Cold War-era uranium enrichment site, tapping private equity to fund a $100 billion data center complex that will include its own new natural gas and battery storage power plant in Kentucky."

Air [4]
Climate Change [6]
Disasters [34]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Health [8]
Infrastructure [24]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Nuclear Power & Radiation [35]
People & Population [36]
Pollution [13]
Technology [26]
Waste [37]
Public [17]
National (U.S.) [15]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [38]
Source: AP [39], 07/31/2026
  • Read more about Trump DOE To Turn Ky. Uranium Plant Into Gas-Powered AI Data Center [33]

Amid AI Boom, Coal Returns — With a Familiar Cost To Black Neighbors [40]

"Trump’s order keeping an Orlando coal plant online renews environmental justice concerns over who pays AI’s pollution bill." "The fight over Stanton Unit 1 illustrates how America's AI boom could prolong coal pollution that has historically fallen hardest on Black communities."

Air [4]
Chemicals [5]
Conflict/Corruption [41]
Consumer [20]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Health [8]
Environmental Justice [22]
Environmental Politics [23]
Infrastructure [24]
Laws & Regulations [12]
People & Population [36]
Pollution [13]
Technology [26]
Public [17]
National (U.S.) [15]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [38]
Source: Word in Black [42], 07/31/2026
  • Read more about Amid AI Boom, Coal Returns — With a Familiar Cost To Black Neighbors [40]

Louisa, Va., Homeowner Sues Amazon Over Data Center Construction [43]

"Round-the-clock disruptions drive a Central Virginia man to file a lawsuit against the tech giant as it seeks to build its latest digital warehouse in the commonwealth."

Consumer [20]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Health [8]
Environmental Politics [23]
Laws & Regulations [12]
People & Population [36]
Pollution [13]
Technology [26]
Public [17]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [44]
Source: Virginia Mercury [45], 07/30/2026
  • Read more about Louisa, Va., Homeowner Sues Amazon Over Data Center Construction [43]

Data Center Boom Sparks Lobbying Surge [46]

"The number of companies, associations and advocacy groups lobbying around data center issues more than doubled this spring compared to the same time last year as Congress and the Trump administration sought to address the industry’s rapid growth."

Climate Change [6]
Economy & Business [21]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Politics [23]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Water & Oceans [47]
Public [17]
National (U.S.) [15]
Source: E&E News [48], 07/30/2026
  • Read more about Data Center Boom Sparks Lobbying Surge [46]

EPA Halted Study On Gas Stoves And Asthma. Results Were Striking. [49]

"Research that used a federal grant to pay for asthma patients to have their gas stoves replaced showed a dramatic fall in asthma attacks. The program was cut short after President Donald Trump took office."

Air [4]
Climate Change [6]
Consumer [20]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Health [8]
Infrastructure [24]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Technology [26]
Public [17]
National (U.S.) [15]
Source: Washington Post [50], 07/30/2026
  • Read more about EPA Halted Study On Gas Stoves And Asthma. Results Were Striking. [49]

In Ohio, Toxic Wastewater Is Bubbling Up Out of the Ground [51]

"The state is a major importer of fracking wastewater, which gets pumped underground but doesn’t always stay there. The city of Marietta is fighting back."

Chemicals [5]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Health [8]
Natural Resources [52]
Pollution [13]
Technology [26]
Waste [37]
Water & Oceans [47]
Public [17]
National (U.S.) [15]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [28]
Source: New York Times [53], 07/30/2026
  • Read more about In Ohio, Toxic Wastewater Is Bubbling Up Out of the Ground [51]

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Source URL:https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/energy?page=9

Links
[1] https://www.sej.org/publications/tipsheet/extremely-hot-weather-cooks-unusually-awful-air-pollution [2] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication/tipsheet [3] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/activism [4] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/air [5] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/chemicals/toxics [6] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/climate-change [7] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/energy [8] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-health [9] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government [10] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/health [11] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/journalism/media [12] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/laws [13] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/pollution [14] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/transportation [15] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national [16] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international [17] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81 [18] https://www.sej.org/publications/features/taming-freight-beast [19] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication-types/features [20] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/consumer [21] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/business [22] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-justice [23] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-politics [24] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/infrastructure [25] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/policy [26] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/technology [27] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/california [28] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/great-lakes [29] https://www.sej.org/headlines/plug-solar-panels-are-starting-sprout-us-backyards [30] https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/31/business/energy-environment/plug-in-balcony-solar.html?unlocked_article_code=1.2lA.lRIf.-g5voHu7FWZF&smid=url-share [31] https://www.sej.org/headlines/california-was-mostly-solar-powered-may-global-first [32] https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/solar/california-solar-power-record-may [33] https://www.sej.org/headlines/trump-doe-turn-ky-uranium-plant-gas-powered-ai-data-center [34] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster [35] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/nuclear-power/radiation [36] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/people-population [37] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/waste [38] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southeast [39] https://apnews.com/article/ai-data-center-kentucky-uranium-gas-a4cf07af1b6776971dc5d609c996ca13 [40] https://www.sej.org/headlines/amid-ai-boom-coal-returns-familiar-cost-black-neighbors [41] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/conflictcorruption [42] https://wordinblack.com/2026/07/amid-ai-boom-coal-returns-with-a-familiar-cost/ [43] https://www.sej.org/headlines/louisa-va-homeowner-sues-amazon-over-data-center-construction [44] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/mid-atlantic [45] https://virginiamercury.com/2026/07/28/brown-water-dust-and-loud-noises-louisa-homeowner-sues-amazon-over-data-center-construction/ [46] https://www.sej.org/headlines/data-center-boom-sparks-lobbying-surge [47] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water [48] https://www.eenews.net/articles/data-center-boom-sparks-lobbying-surge/ [49] https://www.sej.org/headlines/epa-halted-study-gas-stoves-and-asthma-results-were-striking [50] https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2026/07/29/how-study-about-stoves-reveals-harm-caused-by-trumps-grant-cuts/ [51] https://www.sej.org/headlines/ohio-toxic-wastewater-bubbling-out-ground [52] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/land [53] https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/29/climate/ohio-fracking-water-injection-wells.html?unlocked_article_code=1.1lA.o-oh.OQvcNeBJvfGe&smid=url-share [54] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/energy?page=8 [55] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/energy?page=5 [56] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/energy?page=6 [57] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/energy?page=7 [58] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/energy?page=10 [59] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/energy?page=11 [60] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/energy?page=12 [61] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/energy?page=13 [62] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/energy?page=1170