Topic: natural gas
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Louisiana Lures Meta With Tax Breaks for Massive Data Center
Louisiana officials fast-tracked approval for Entergy to build natural gas turbines to power a new Meta data center, a decision criticized for its rushed process and lack of public oversight. Critics argue the project places a significant financial burden on utility customers, who will pay for ne...
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Musk's xAI to Power Data Center with New Solar Farm
Elon Musk's xAI is planning an 88-acre solar farm near its Memphis Colossus data center, projected to generate 30 megawatts to partially offset the facility's substantial electricity needs. The company faces controversy for operating over 400 megawatts of natural gas turbines without proper permi...
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Google's Carbon Capture Bet: A Risky Power Play?
Google is investing in a new 400-megawatt natural gas power plant in Illinois, designed to capture approximately 90% of its CO₂ emissions to power its local data centers, with ADM utilizing some of the plant's output. The captured carbon will be stored in deep geological formations, though a rece...
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Arbor's 'Vegetarian' Rocket Engine Is Actually an Omnivore
Arbor Energy's power generation technology has evolved from running solely on plant waste to using multiple fuel sources including natural gas, expanding deployment potential while maintaining carbon capture capabilities. The company secured $55 million in funding and uses oxy-combustion technolo...
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US Electricity Demand Growth Shows Signs of Cooling
US electricity demand growth has slowed in early 2025, with a 3% increase compared to the previous year, indicating a more moderate consumption trajectory. Coal generation growth has eased slightly but remains elevated, while solar power has expanded significantly, gaining nearly 40% and offsetti...
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Microbes Transform Idle Oil Wells into Hydrogen Factories
A Houston-based startup is repurposing abandoned oil wells by using specialized microbes to convert residual hydrocarbons into hydrogen gas, offering a novel clean energy source. The company, Eclipse Energy, has proven the technology and partnered with Weatherford International for global deploym...
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Solar Boom in US Nearly Meets Rising Energy Demand
Early 2025 saw a sharp 4.8% rise in electricity demand, driven by data centers, which reversed a decline in coal consumption due to insufficient renewable supply. The growth in electricity demand moderated to 2.3% over the first nine months, largely due to a significant 36% increase in solar powe...
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AI's Energy Crisis: Why the US is Losing the Race
The U.S. power grid is struggling to support the rapid growth of data centers needed for AI, leading to increased electricity costs in affected communities. China is rapidly expanding its power generation capacity, adding significantly more than the U.S., while reducing its reliance on coal in fa...
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AI's Impact on Jobs, Security, and Prosperity: The Debrief
Young people are increasingly anxious about AI's impact on their future, particularly regarding job displacement, as tech leaders predict significant losses in white-collar roles. The rapid expansion of AI infrastructure is exacerbating environmental issues, with data centers consuming massive am...
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