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EnergyPlatform.News(letter)

September 1, 2025

In this week’s edition of energy and environmental policy news across the states: Arizona copper mining legal battle, Microgrids powered North Carolina after storm, Retired coal plants go nuclear, Colorado pushes recycling accountability with EPR program, At a glance Texas

Plus: Trench: The U.S. can be an AI leader with good energy policies

EnergyPlatform.News [[link removed]] Arizona copper mining legal battle [[link removed]]

One of the world’s largest untapped copper deposits likely sits 7,000 feet below a rocky Arizona landscape. Mining companies and an American Indian tribe have fought over control of the mine for two decades in court, and in August a federal appeals court temporarily blocked a land transfer that would have opened up the reserves for mining.

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Microgrids powered North Carolina after storm [[link removed]] [[link removed]]

North Carolina recently announced a $5 million grant to place solar and battery microgrids around the state, in large part so they can generate power after natural disasters.

The decision follows the high-profile success of small solar-powered grids after Hurricane Helene brought heavy flooding and mudslides to much of Western North Carolina, leaving many without power for weeks.

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Retired coal plants go nuclear [[link removed]]

A small Colorado city facing closure of its coal-fired energy plants and coal mines is considering transitioning to nuclear power, according to a recent CBS report. The City of Pueblo is eyeing a similar transformation when Xcel Energy decommissions its Comanche coal-fired power plant by 2031.

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Colorado pushes recycling accountability with EPR program [[link removed]]

Colorado is advancing a significant shift in who will pay a $310 million statewide recycling system through its Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law, House Bill 22-1355.

Passed in 2022 and entering key implementation stages by the middle of this year, the law requires producers of packaging materials to fund and support recycling programs across the state.

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At a glance: Texas [[link removed]] [[link removed]]

A snapshot of energy and environmental facts about the state of Texas.

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Trench: The U.S. can be an AI leader with good energy policies [[link removed]]

Demand for the AI and cloud infrastructure Vantage provides is accelerating. Over the past decade, I have seen the scale and speed of hyperscale data center development grow dramatically. Five years ago, a 30-megawatt facility was considered large. Today, 100 megawatts is the starting point, with campus developments commonly reaching 500 megawatts+ — and we have multiple customers seeking one gigawatt or more for AI infrastructure, the equivalent of all electrical power used in Washington, D.C.

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In case you missed it

Coal’s prospects are turning brighter [[link removed]]

Arizona’s declining groundwater problem [[link removed]]

EPA cuts Solar For All program [[link removed]]

We’re adding news and commentary from

more states each week. EnergyPlatform.News/states [[link removed]] Support EnergyPlatform.News

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