As legislators look to write meaningful bills to help consumers, some are missing the mark before they start

A new series on legislators trying to virtue-signal consumer protection, starting with Virginia. – The Energy News Beat SubStack.  Not passing the Save America Bill may be one of the primary reasons the Republicans will lose the Midterms if they don’t stop acting like a Uni-party and helping the Democrats more than President Trump and […]

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An Economic Assessment of the 765-kV Strategic Transmission Expansion Plan Brent Bennett, Ph.D. talks about An Alternative Approach to Enable Cost-Effective Growth

Texas is facing explosive electricity demand growth from the Permian Basin’s oil and gas operations, data centers, manufacturing, and electrification. In response, ERCOT and the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) have fast-tracked the 765-kV Strategic Transmission Expansion Plan (STEP)—including the Permian Basin Reliability Plan (PBRP)—a massive build-out of high-voltage transmission lines designed to import […]

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Data Centers Are Moving to Unincorporated Areas to Avoid Citizen Decision Impacts – Energy News Beat Exclusive Analysis

In rural Texas, a quiet but transformative shift is underway. Developers are increasingly siting massive data centers in unincorporated areas—where county governments have far less regulatory authority than cities—bypassing the kind of local zoning, public hearings, and citizen pushback that could slow or stop projects in more populated zones. This strategy is playing out dramatically […]

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Russia and Kazakhstan Sign Nuclear Power and Currency Swap Deals as Putin Visits Astana

In a significant step forward for bilateral energy and financial cooperation, Russia and Kazakhstan signed key agreements on nuclear power financing and a ruble-tenge currency swap during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Astana today. The deals were inked as Putin met with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. They underscore deepening ties in the energy sector […]

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Ørsted Explores $1 Billion+ Sale of US Onshore Renewables Assets Amid Strategic Pivot and US Policy Uncertainty

Danish renewable energy giant Ørsted is reportedly exploring the sale of its US onshore renewable assets in a deal that could exceed $1 billion, according to Bloomberg reporting on May 22, 2026. The move comes as the company continues its global farm-down strategy, sharpens focus on core offshore wind in Europe and Asia, and navigates […]

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