Fossil fuels

Utilities

Virginia’s data center boom tests clean energy law

Exploding electricity needs are pushing Virginia’s largest utility to seek new gas plants — despite a state mandate to eliminate fossil fuels by 2045.

By Elizabeth Ouzts . 4 September 2025

A large warehouse building surrounded by homes — An Amazon Web Services data center in Ashburn, Virginia (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

Fossil fuels

Texas created a $7.2B fund for gas plants. Hardly any are being built.

Even with a financial leg-up from taxpayers, builders are backing off gas plans, worried about profitability or that they won’t be able to get a hold of equipment.

By Paul Cobler . 2 September 2025
Fossil fuels

Chart: The retiring coal power plants Trump could revive

The Energy Department keeps ordering expensive, polluting plants to keep running at the eleventh hour. Here’s what’s on the line through the end of Trump’s term.

By Dan McCarthy . 29 August 2025
Fossil fuels

Trump extends order forcing Pennsylvania fossil-fuel plant to stay open

The administration isn’t backing off efforts to revive retiring coal and gas plants. Now, customers are on the hook to pay for Eddystone for another three months.

By Dan McCarthy . 28 August 2025
Fossil fuels

As Trump delays steel pollution rules, study shows public health risks

An environmental report maps toxic air pollution near U.S. coal-based steel facilities. The Trump EPA has postponed rules meant to clean up industry.

By Maria Gallucci . 28 August 2025
Land use

Trump admin’s new anti-renewables rule rooted in fossil-fuel misinformation

The Interior Department’s directive casts solar and wind energy as bad for the environment, without weighing costs of oil, coal, and gas, critics say.

By Kathiann M. Kowalski . 25 August 2025
Fossil fuels

Trump admin orders dirty, expensive coal plant to stay open even longer

Keeping J.H. Campbell open past its slated close is costing Midwest households big. Advocates fear that more such orders are on the way.

By Jeff St. John . 21 August 2025
Politics

State AGs demand DOE fix its flawed grid-reliability report

Nine Democrat-led states are challenging a DOE analysis that the Trump admin may use to keep costly fossil-fueled power plants open past their retirement dates.

By Jeff St. John . 20 August 2025
Fossil fuels

The Constitution gas pipeline won’t solve New England’s energy problems

EPA chief Lee Zeldin claims the proposed pipeline into New York would make New England power cheaper and more reliable. Just about everyone says he’s wrong.

By Sarah Shemkus . 20 August 2025
Fossil fuels

Colorado now requires health warning labels on gas stoves

The state is the first to put labels on the appliances pointing consumers to evidence about the harms of cooking with gas. Appliance manufacturers are suing.

By Alison F. Takemura . 19 August 2025
Policy & regulation

Forcing dirty power plants to stay open would cost Americans billions

The Trump admin's scheme to keep old fossil-fuel plants running could saddle utility customers with nearly $6 billion a year in unnecessary costs, a report finds.

By Jeff St. John . 14 August 2025