Six power plants, five burning coal and one burning oil and gas, had been slated to retire by the end of 2025, but were instead ordered to stay running to prevent what the administration called an “energy emergency.” At least one of those coal plants hasn’t operated at all under the emergency order, and another ran for only about two weeks, according to federal data reviewed by Utility Dive.
Altogether, the five coal plants produced just 1.5 million megawatt-hours of power during the first quarter of 2026, down 65% from what they generated during the same period last year. At the same time, the plants have racked up hundreds of millions of dollars in costs that could end up coming out of utility customers’ pockets.
Hyundai is building a massive steel mill in Louisiana. Will its neighbors benefit?
Hyundai’s plans to build a steel and iron plant in Louisiana could drive a clean revolution — or add yet another polluting factory to an area already known as “Cancer Alley.”
Canary Media’s Maria Gallucci recently visited the rural stretch between New Orleans and Baton Rouge where Hyundai is building a massive facility that will produce steel for automaking. At first, the plant will use natural gas to melt iron into steel — already a lower-carbon alternative than the coal that powers aging steel mills in the Midwest. But Hyundai has said it may later power its furnaces with hydrogen made from renewable electricity.
In the nearby city of Donaldsonville, residents and local leaders told Maria they’re skeptical Hyundai will actually follow through. They’re already surrounded by petrochemical facilities and oil refineries, and worry this latest factory won’t be any better for residents’ health or job prospects.
Clean energy news to know this week
Nuclear ball out: The Trump administration announces $17.5 billion in loans to spur the development of 10 large nuclear reactors, with aims to begin construction by 2030 and get plants up and running in the next decade. (Associated Press)
Pumped-up home sales: A new report finds that installing an all-electric heat-pump heating and cooling system can increase a home’s resale value — as long as the appliance is mentioned in the real estate listing. (Canary Media)
Raising the roof: Warehouse roofs could be the perfect place to build solar arrays that can bring low-cost clean power to communities that can’t install their own panels, but states and utilities first need to do more to promote these community solar projects. (Canary Media)
Slated for takeoff: Jeff Bezos–backed EV startup Slate Auto says it has more than 180,000 reservations for its low-cost, bare-bones electric pickup, and customers now have a chance to preorder a vehicle with a $300 deposit. (Axios)
A data center surprise: The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s top Democrat, Rep. Frank Pallone, unexpectedly calls for a nationwide moratorium on data center development as Congress crafts legislation to protect household utility bills from spiking because of data centers’ massive power demands. (E&E News)
