By STAFF REPORTS
TEXAS
State Senators Push for More Gas Power Plants
Republican state senators are questioning the state’s reliance on solar and battery storage for electricity generation. They are considering imposing minimum standards for building gas plants and moving away from free trade in the electricity marketplace to ensure a balanced mix of energy resources and prevent scarcity events. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) reports 70 percent of the 460-gigawatt interconnection queue is from solar and battery storage, with natural gas facilities making up less than 17 percent. Legislators and grid leaders say this level of planned gas facilities won’t suffice.
Plans for a Tesla Solar Cell Facility Advance
Tesla is considering a $10 billion solar cell facility in Fort Bend County that would create 1,150 construction jobs and launch operations in 2029. The company is also considering another site and is seeking tax breaks to make the Fort Bend County location more competitive. This project follows the announcement of a $16.8 billion semiconductor facility in Grimes County, highlighting the growth potential of the advanced manufacturing sector in the Houston region.
Solar Module Manufacturing Facility Begins Operations
SEG Solar inaugurated its second US photovoltaic module manufacturing facility, adding 4 GW of annual production capacity for a total of 6 GW in total US capacity. The $200 million facility, the company’s largest in the United States, is located in the Greater Houston area and will produce SIERRA N series heterojunction modules. It is expected to begin operations in the third quarter of 2026.
Country’s Largest Gas Power Plant Planned by Amazon
Amazon is backing a 7.65 GW gas power plant in Pecos County to power its first completely off-grid AI data center. The plant, which would be the largest in the country, is expected to emit 33 million tons of CO2 annually, potentially hindering Amazon’s net-zero carbon goals. This marks a shift for Amazon, which previously relied on grid power, as the AI boom drives increased demand for compute resources.
Solar Complex to Reach 2GW by 2029
Origis Energy’s Rockhound solar complex in Ector County is now nearly 1 GW, with plans to add another 1 GW of solar and battery storage by 2029. The complex, which already supplies power to Meta, Occidental, dsm-firmenich and Bekaert, aims to attract data centers with its scale and energy storage capabilities.
Data Centers Put on Pause
Governor Greg Abbott directed the Public Utility Commission and the Electric Reliability Council to audit data center projects before allowing them to connect to the Texas grid. The audit will ensure compliance with requirements and assess the impact on the grid, including power and water usage, financial assistance and community impact. While there is no state or federal database of data centers, the state has at least 335 and is poised to become the largest market in the country, with 248 planned centers and hundreds more in development.
LOUISIANA
Louisiana International Terminal Secures Crucial Approvals
The Port of New Orleans secured a crucial federal approval for its planned container terminal in St. Bernard Parish, marking a significant milestone in the years-long endeavor to construct a facility that is deemed essential for maintaining the competitiveness of Port NOLA and the state’s maritime economy. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers granted permits authorizing the construction of the Louisiana International Terminal, which will be situated in Violet, approximately 17 miles downstream of New Orleans. The facility, with an estimated cost of at least $2.6 billion, is expected to accommodate the colossal container ships that constitute an increasing proportion of global shipping and which are too large to navigate upstream and safely traverse New Orleans’ Crescent City Connection bridge.
U.S. First Floating LNG Terminal Given Green Light
A federal appellate court dismissed a legal challenge against the nation’s first offshore LNG export terminal, Delfin LNG, located off southwest Louisiana. The court ruled that the plaintiffs, including environmental groups, lacked standing as they failed to demonstrate concrete injury from the project. Despite concerns about potential harm to aquatic species and the environment, the court upheld the terminal’s permits.
Neoprene Plant Settles Hazardous Waste Probe
The Denka neoprene plant in LaPlace settled a federal hazardous waste probe, agreeing to pay a $1 million penalty. The plant, which suspended production in May 2025, had been under scrutiny for mishandling hazardous waste and emitting toxic chloroprene fumes.
Ethics Board Fines Louisiana Oilfield Restoration Association Leaders
The leaders of a now defunct company responsible for plugging orphaned oil wells in Louisiana have been fined $5,000 each after the state ethics board determined that they violated the law by providing a $780,000 loan to a senior official in the department that oversaw their work.
In an opinion released last week, the ethics board stated that LORA, its subsidiary Chromos and Andrew Berthelot, a manager for both companies, improperly granted the loan to former Office of Conservation attorney Johnny Adams in 2023.
MISSISSIPPI
Unpermitted SpaceX Gas Turbines to Continue Running
SpaceX will remove unpermitted turbines powering its xAI data centers near Memphis, but not until July 2027, transitioning to a permanent 1.2 gigawatt natural gas power plant. The company claims the turbines are exempt from permits because they remain on trailers, but federal regulations require permits due to their size and usage. The new power plant will consist of 41 permanent gas turbines.
MSU To Use EPA Grant to Pilot Project to Prevent Algae Blooms
Mississippi State University scientists are testing a slag bioreactor-based conservation system to improve water quality by reducing phosphorus runoff from agricultural fields. The system, funded by a $1.4 million EPA grant, uses slag to adsorb dissolved phosphorus, preventing algal blooms. The team, including MSU Extension and the National Center for Alluvial and Aquifer Research, will demonstrate the system at four sites across the state.
Pearl River Weir Targeted for Restoration
Pearl River County officials are working to restore water flow to the East Pearl River, aiming to improve recreation, support wildlife and benefit communities. The project, which remains in the planning and permitting process, involves rehabilitating the Walkiah Bluff Weir, a structure built in the 1990s to regulate water flow. The weir failed after flooding in 2022, reducing water levels and impacting recreational activities.
ALABAMA
Alabama Power Secures Approvals for Meta Data Center Power Plant
The Public Service Commission approved Alabama Power’s proposal for a 200-megawatt solar facility and battery storage system in Macon and Bullock counties. The project, supported by Meta, will provide renewable energy to a new data center in Montgomery and generate revenue for the counties.
Appeal Sought to Oil and Gas Drilling in National Forest
Environmental groups, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Alabama Ornithological Society, are appealing the Bureau of Land Management’s decision to allow oil and gas drilling in Conecuh National Forest. They argue the decision violates the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act, as the Bureau of Land Management failed to adequately consider the impact on endangered species and other environmental factors. The groups emphasize the forest’s ecological significance and call for an impact study.
EPA to Revise Coal Ash Regulations
The Trump administration’s EPA is proposing to approve Alabama’s coal ash permitting program, allowing the state to oversee the closure of coal ash ponds. This program, previously rejected by the Biden administration for failing to meet federal standards, would permit utilities to leave millions of tons of toxic coal ash buried near rivers. Environmental groups argue this approach is less protective of human health and the environment, citing potential groundwater contamination and catastrophic dam breaches.
