Charles Paullin
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Charles Paullin
@cpaullinva.bsky.social
Energy, enviro reporter | Past: @virginiamercury.com‬, a couple others | [email protected] | Proton: [email protected] | Signal: CPaullin.13
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ICYMI: President Trump is seeking to end energy and environment policies intended to address climate change and protect natural resources.

The team at @insideclimatenews.org has a page dedicated to coverage of it.

Check it out.

insideclimatenews.org/project/trum...
Trump 2.0 - Inside Climate News
From his first moments in office, President Donald Trump declared a national energy emergency, unleashed oil and gas drilling, targeted climate enforcement, excised environmental justice protections a...
insideclimatenews.org
Virginia's enviromental regulators are considering defining a "sudden and reasonably unforeseeable" emergency to include a "planned outage."

The change would allow data centers to run diesel generators more often than cleaner alternatives.

insideclimatenews.org/news/1512202...
Virginia Regulators Weigh Expanded Use of Data Center’s Polluting Generators  - Inside Climate News
The state’s Department of Environmental Quality would expand permissible uses during emergencies to include “planned outages” by grid operators, presumably for power line upgrades. Environmentalists s...
insideclimatenews.org
December 15, 2025 at 3:00 PM
"...Virginia’s legislative watchdog agency found that households there could see their bills increase by an estimated $14 to $37 monthly by 2040 as a result."

From @laurendalban.bsky.social.

.https://insideclimatenews.org/news/08122025/environmental-groups-demand-data-center-construction-freeze/
Environmental Groups Demand a Nationwide Freeze on Data Center Construction - Inside Climate News
In a letter to Congress, the groups said data center development raises concerns about rising energy costs, water use and climate impacts. Many communities are fighting back.
insideclimatenews.org
December 9, 2025 at 8:34 PM
The State Corporation Commission approved Dominion's new natural gas plant proposal, the first since passage of Virginia's decarbonization law in 2020.

The project still needs an air permit.

It comes as the state sees rising demand from data centers.

insideclimatenews.org/news/0512202...
Virginia Regulators Approve First New Gas Plant Since Passage of Clean Economy Act - Inside Climate News
Dominion Energy presented the Chesterfield peaker plant as an answer to ensuring grid reliability. Some residents and clean energy advocates disagree.
insideclimatenews.org
December 5, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Tenaska's 1.5 gigawatt gas plant proposal in Fluvanna County will now have all three planning commission votes in January.

It's part of PJM's Reliability Resource Initiative seeking to add electricity generation to the grid to power data centers.

insideclimatenews.org/news/2611202...
County Planning Commission in Virginia Delays Vote Again on Proposed Gas Plant That Aims to Link to PJM Grid - Inside Climate News
Fluvanna County planners will vote in January to assess whether a proposal by Tenaska Energy fits its comprehensive plan.
insideclimatenews.org
November 26, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Reposted by Charles Paullin
Before the public can act, they must know. But China is silencing independent journalists reporting on the environmental impacts of its massive Belt and Road Initiative—mines, ports, dams, power plants etc in mostly poor countries.

Here’s how they’re doing it and why it matters.
November 25, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Reposted by Charles Paullin
Texas has no regulations to protect workers from the state’s blistering heat and overturned city ordinances that required rest breaks. What does that mean for workers in one of the hottest parts of the country? @keertigopal.bsky.social and I spent months investigating for @insideclimatenews.org (1)
November 25, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Reposted by Charles Paullin
New research shows how low-income communities of color bear the brunt of pollution past and present, and how that legacy of injustice is likely to reverberate for generations as seas rise. We have the story at @insideclimatenews.org A thread. 1/ insideclimatenews.org/news/2011202...
As Seas Rise, So Do the Risks From Toxic Sites - Inside Climate News
Flooding from surging seas is likely to inundate thousands of U.S. hazardous sites in coming years as global temperatures rise, placing the nation’s most vulnerable at greatest risk.
insideclimatenews.org
November 21, 2025 at 6:17 PM
More data centers are coming and so more gas pipelines could be here too.

Mountain Valley Pipeline and Williams Companies's plans to run pipe next to each other from Southwest Virginia into North Carolina are among many proposals across the state.

insideclimatenews.org/news/2011202...
November 20, 2025 at 9:46 PM
Reposted by Charles Paullin
A timeline cleanser: My recent newsletter is about rise of "repair cafes" around the world, where communities come together to fix each other's beloved things. The goal: reduce consumer waste, and maybe make some buddies in the process 🔧👭

insideclimatenews.org/news/1111202...
A Growing Number of ‘Repair Cafes’ Are Popping Up Around the World to Curb Consumer Waste - Inside Climate News
Local communities are hosting events where people can bring in their broken goods for repairs—free of charge.
insideclimatenews.org
November 13, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Reposted by Charles Paullin
A new unifying issue: Just about everyone hates data centers.

I looked at examples in Indiana, but it's almost everywhere, with resistance to data centers coming from left, right and center.
insideclimatenews.org/news/1311202...
A New Unifying Issue: Just About Everyone Hates Data Centers - Inside Climate News
Recent election results and evidence from states show misgivings about the growth of AI and the ramifications for energy costs and the environment.
insideclimatenews.org
November 13, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Democrats in Virginia won trifecta control of state government.

A lot of action is expected to happen in the next session in 2026.

One of the questions before lawmakers: keep with clean energy goals on the books, or ease them for a little more gas?

insideclimatenews.org/news/0511202...
With a Lock on State Government Control, Virginia Democrats Now Face Difficult Decisions on Data Centers and Renewable Energy - Inside Climate News
After big wins on election night, Democrats will have to decide whether easing requirements in the state’s ambitious climate law will be necessary to maintain Virginia’s status as the “data center cap...
insideclimatenews.org
November 5, 2025 at 11:47 PM
The location of Dominion's proposed gas peaker plant in Chesterfield County is within the Elizabeth Scott voting precinct.

There, Harris received about 52% of the votes in 2024.

There, incumbent GOP Del. Carrie Coyner is facing a challenge from Dem. Lindsey Dougherty. (1/3)
November 4, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Virginia voters will hit the polls tomorrow with electricity bills, data centers and renewable energy front of mind.

One potential outcome? A Democratic triefcta control with questions over a commitment to the state's decarbonization law.

insideclimatenews.org/news/0311202...
In Virginia, Voters Head to the Polls Hot Over Data Centers, Solar Facilities and Rising Electric Bills - Inside Climate News
Virginia, birthplace of the Internet, has more data centers than anywhere else in the world, bringing in billions in tax revenues. But continued data center development is forcing electric rates up, a...
insideclimatenews.org
November 4, 2025 at 2:18 AM
A CSX train carrying coal from West Virginia to Newport News, Virginia derailed just past Richmond in New Kent County.

About 4,000 tons of coal and 4,000 gallons of diesel fuel spilled into wetlands near the Chickahominy River.

insideclimatenews.org/news/3110202...
CSX Train Derailment in Virginia Puts Chickahominy River at Risk - Inside Climate News
A train derailment last Saturday dumped coal and diesel fuel into wetlands near the Chickahimony River in Virginia, and nearby residents and environmentalists worry that the contaminants could flow in...
insideclimatenews.org
November 1, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Virginia Gov. Youngkin signed onto a joint proposal with the Data Center Coalition, 3 other governors wanting the regional grid operator to fast track approvals of data centers that bring their own electricity generation, or BYOG.

Rambo has the details:

insideclimatenews.org/news/3010202...
Four Governors Whose States Rely on PJM Want Data Centers to Guarantee Their Own Power - Inside Climate News
The governors are exploring fast track approval for data centers that agree to deliver dependable power to the grid as part of the connection process.
insideclimatenews.org
October 30, 2025 at 8:08 PM
My colleague @kileyprice.bsky.social writes a weekly newsletter about the latest on climate events.

This one was about houses collapsing on Hatteras Island, where I was last week for a few fay days off.

More homes have fallen today.

insideclimatenews.org/news/2810202...
In the Outer Banks, 12 Homes Have Collapsed Into the Sea Since September - Inside Climate News
A growing number of homes are getting swallowed by the sea in the Outer Banks islands of North Carolina. Local governments and homeowners are at a crossroads.
insideclimatenews.org
October 28, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Virginia holds the title of data center capital of the world.

How did that happen?

My colleague @dangearino.bsky.social and I asked the question. Here's some answers.

insideclimatenews.org/news/2610202...
How Did This State Become the Data Center Capital of the World? - Inside Climate News
From America Online to the rise of AI, Virginia has been good for an industry now transforming the economy and grid. Has the industry returned the favor?
insideclimatenews.org
October 27, 2025 at 11:28 AM
There's been some people showing up to support Dominion's proposed natural gas peaker plant at air permit hearings.

The group, the Virginia Energy Reliability Alliance, has financial backing from the utility. (1/2)

insideclimatenews.org/news/2310202...
A Pro-Dominion Grassroots Group Has Financial Ties—to Dominion - Inside Climate News
Supporters of the Virginia Energy Reliability Alliance were out in force at an air permit hearing last month for the utility’s controversial natural gas “peaker” plant in Chesterfield County. Dominion...
insideclimatenews.org
October 24, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Tenaska is proposing a new 1.5 GW gas plant in Fluvanna County as part of PJM's fast tracked process to get more electricity onto the grid to serve data centers.

The planning commission said hold up.

insideclimatenews.org/news/1810202...
Gas Plant That’s Part of PJM’s Fast-Tracked Process Is Getting Pushback in Virginia  - Inside Climate News
Tenaska’s 1.5 gigawatt proposal would be part of the reliability resource initiative for “shovel-ready, high-reliability” projects.
insideclimatenews.org
October 18, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Thanks to Michael Pope, VPAP and @vpm.org for the appearance on the Virginia Press Room with Karri Peifer and Joe Dodson

Spoiler alert, Karri and Joe share insights worth following, as always. Now, on Pink-Slime and a Miyares investigation:

open.spotify.com/episode/5dTq...
Pink-Slime Journalism, October Surprises, and a Clean Energy Summit
open.spotify.com
October 6, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Earlier this year, the Virginia legislature passed only a handful of 33 unique bills on data center development in the state.

My colleague Deep Vakil and I took a deep dive on what the bills aimed to do and why they failed.

Graphic c/o Paul Horn.

insideclimatenews.org/news/3009202...
September 30, 2025 at 11:15 AM
It happened several months ago, but the Virginia legislature this year passed only a handful of bills on data center development in the state.

My colleague @thedeepvakil and I took a deep dive on what 33 unique bills aimed to do and why they failed.

insideclimatenews.org/news/3009202...
Virginia Could Show How to Manage Data Center Growth. So Far, It’s a Case Study in Stalling Legislation - Inside Climate News
The state with the most data centers is struggling to enact laws to protect electric customers and limit the energy and environmental impacts of their explosive growth.
insideclimatenews.org
September 30, 2025 at 10:56 AM
Yesterday, Govs. Shapiro, Youngkin, Moore and Murphy demanded reforms within PJM.

Studies on leaving the regional grid will likely show, "...there’s probably not enough benefit to justify the potential risks," said Jon Gordon with Advanced Energy United.

insideclimatenews.org/news/2209202...
Citing the Need for ‘Significant Reform,’ Pennsylvania’s Governor Threatens to Pull the State Out of the Region’s Power Grid - Inside Climate News
As the largest energy producer in the 13-state system, its exit would ripple through the region.
insideclimatenews.org
September 23, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Duane Brankley lives 1.5 miles from a former coal plant. He remembers needing to wash ash off his roof and walkways as a kid.

Now, he could be exposed to a fine carcinogen if Dominion gets its wish to build natural gas units where an old coal one ran.

insideclimatenews.org/news/1809202...
Dominion’s Proposed Peaker Plant Flouts Environmental Justice, Community Says - Inside Climate News
The utility’s environmental justice analysis lacks community health data, according to attorneys representing affected residents.
insideclimatenews.org
September 19, 2025 at 3:28 AM
Environmental groups expected some funding for projects, including five in Southwest Virginia, to increase resiliency.

Trump canceled the program, and a judge dismissed a lawsuit to restore the grants. The groups are now appealing the ruling.

insideclimatenews.org/news/1709202...
Advocacy Groups Appeal Dismissal of Case Over Trump’s Cancellation of Environmental Justice Grants - Inside Climate News
Twenty-three nonprofit environmental justice groups represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center filed notice on Tuesday that they will appeal a U.S. District Court judge’s dismissal of their ...
insideclimatenews.org
September 17, 2025 at 6:35 PM