WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY:
asserted
WHAT → happen → ?
Fat Bear Week might be over, but fall animal fun has just begun.
uncertain
fun → begin → ?
The National Park Service is holding what it has called “Chunky Puppy Day” later today, livestreaming a weigh-in to see how big sled dog puppies in Denali National Park got over the summer.
asserted
puppies → hold → summer
Hopefully you’ve had a chance to skim through the lengthy permitting bill released by the Senate yesterday.
asserted
you → have → Senate
If not, you may not have seen that it includes what could be the first federal regulations for data centers.
uncertain
what → see → centers
Keep reading to find out what that would look like.
asserted
that → keep → what
If a friend sent this to you and you’d like to sign up, click here.
asserted
you → send → you
If signing up doesn’t work
asserted
signing → sign → ?
, shoot us an email, and we’ll add you to our list.
SENATE PERMITTING BILL (BAAJA) BLASTS DATA CENTERS WITH ENERGY RULES:
Over the last 24 hours, Callie has been parsing the 417-page permitting bill released by the Senate yesterday afternoon so you don’t have to.
asserted
you → shoot → Senate
As expected, it includes provisions reforming landmark environmental laws and modernizing federal permitting systems.
asserted
it → expect → systems
The legislation broadly would make it easier and faster to build energy infrastructure projects, highways, and even data centers.
asserted
it → make → projects
As concerns have surged in recent months that the already rapid development of data centers will send electricity bills higher, the Senate included several measures that would be the first federal regulations for data centers.
asserted
that → surge → centers
The bill, known formally as the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act, specifically would force data centers and other large-load facilities to pay for the energy and transmission infrastructure needed for their operations.
asserted
bill → know → operations
The legislation orders utilities to ensure that transmission costs are fully assigned to these large-load operators to “minimize or avoid cost burden on other customers.”
asserted
costs → order → customers
It would also require that these large facilities incur the “full cost” of the transmission services they require.
asserted
they → require → services
In a section dedicated to data centers alone, the bill would require that no incremental costs are passed on to other customers.
asserted
costs → dedicate → customers
Data centers must also provide utilities with financial assurances or contributions sufficient to cover the cost of the project before construction on a generating, transmission or distribution facility begins.
asserted
construction → provide → facility
And the rules don’t stop there.
asserted
rules → stop → ?
In a separate section, the bipartisan bill would require data centers to report their energy use to the Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration.
asserted
bill → require → Administration
Already trouble in the House: As we touched on yesterday, the Senate will not be voting on the permitting package until Congress returns to D.C. after the midterm elections.
asserted
Congress → touch → elections
The text released this week is not expected to be the final version, as negotiators are using a managers’ amendment to tweak the language and add additional provisions as they take it up for consideration.
asserted
they → release → consideration
Once passed in the Senate, the bill will go to the House.
asserted
bill → pass → House
While several Democrats have expressed support for the package, tensions are already brewing.
asserted
tensions → express → package
Yesterday evening, Rep. Jared Huffman of California said he wants to push permitting to the next Congress, when Democrats are likely to be in control of the House.
asserted
Democrats → say → House
Huffman currently sits as the ranking member of the Natural Resources Committee, and would be selected as chair if Democrats regain the chamber.
asserted
Democrats → sit → chamber
He claimed the Senate version “concedes too much,” specifically regarding the Endangered Species Act.
asserted
version → claim → Act
“Folding our hand now or in the lame duck makes no sense when we can keep working on this and, in a few more months, have a much better deal that works for everyone,” Huffman said.
asserted
Huffman → fold → everyone
SOUTH KOREA PUMPS THE BRAKES ON TRUMP’S LNG PIPELINE PROJECT:
asserted
KOREA → pump → PROJECT
South Korea said its investment in a liquefied natural gas pipeline project in Alaska is not a done deal.
asserted
investment → say → Alaska
President Donald Trump yesterday announced that South Korea would invest over $50 billion for a liquefied natural gas pipeline in Alaska.
asserted
Korea → announce → Alaska
But Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan at a press briefing this morning said the two countries had agreed to “initiate a review” of the pipeline deal.
asserted
countries → say → deal
Kim also noted that South Korea did not agree to a specific dollar amount.
asserted
Korea → note → amount
“Putting out figures, or using definitive language, goes far beyond what was agreed,” he said.
asserted
he → put → language
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung also said on X that several conditions must be met before the country participates in the project, including that it must be commercially viable and comply with Korean legal procedures.
asserted
it → say → procedures
White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement that the project would create thousands of jobs, generating $25 billion in state and local revenue while also saving $10 billion in energy costs for Alaska.
asserted
project → say → Alaska
The 800-mile pipeline project is expected to start in Prudhoe Bay along the Arctic Ocean.
asserted
project → expect → Ocean
The pipeline would make it easier for the U.S. to ship LNG to buyers in Asia.
asserted
U.S. → make → Asia
U.S. TELLS GERMANY AND FRANCE TO DRAW ON DIESEL INVENTORIES OR FACE EXPORT BAN:
asserted
GERMANY → tell → BAN
Reuters is reporting that the Trump administration is pressuring Germany and France to use their own emergency diesel inventories to lower surging prices, or be hit with an export ban.
asserted
administration → report → ban
While the European Union is meeting later this week to discuss the releasing diesel stocks, the administration is reportedly upset primarily with France and Germany.
uncertain
administration → meet → France
…and 34 more, not listed.
The Aporia
