Energy, enviro reporter | Past: @virginiamercury.com‬, a couple others | cpaullin13@gmail.com | Proton: wordsmyth13@proton.me | Signal: CPaullin.13https://bsky.app/profile/cpaullinva.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/cpaullinva.bsky.social/post/3mvqbtnypdc2yExcited to be published on Utility Dive. I'll be reporting on topics outside of Virginia. Please, send me your tips to inform readers about what's happening in the rest of the country. First up, Climavision has opened up its services to data centers. https://www.utilitydive.com/news/climavision-offers-expanded-weather-forecasting-to-data-centers/830057/17 Sep 2026 18:28 +0000at://did:plc:xksayqib34dockfccv6jsjfo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvqbtnypdc2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/cpaullinva.bsky.social/post/3ms6p5udjic25Saddened to share that my contract with Inside Climate News came to end Friday. It's been an absolute privilege to write for this outlet, and to work with and learn from some of the best investigative journalists and editors around. 1/03 Aug 2026 14:23 +0000at://did:plc:xksayqib34dockfccv6jsjfo/app.bsky.feed.post/3ms6p5udjic25https://bsky.app/profile/cpaullinva.bsky.social/post/3mrxsa7pbek2dPresident Trump wants to boost a domestic supply of minerals. Now, Odyssey Marine Exploration wants to mine some of the seafloor near Virginia. Many, including Katie Dawson, who voted for Trump, are worried about the environmental and economic impact. https://insideclimatenews.org/news/31072026/virginia-seabed-mining-proposal/31 Jul 2026 20:29 +0000at://did:plc:xksayqib34dockfccv6jsjfo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrxsa7pbek2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/cpaullinva.bsky.social/post/3mrfhhdkw322wVirginia is back in the carbon market known as RGGI. The state brings its data center demand and new gas plant proposals, which create cost challenges. Virginia is 27th in the U.S. in using electricity from renewables, which don't pay the RGGI fee. https://insideclimatenews.org/news/24072026/virginia-rejoins-regional-greenhouse-gas-initiative/24 Jul 2026 13:28 +0000at://did:plc:xksayqib34dockfccv6jsjfo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrfhhdkw322whttps://bsky.app/profile/cpaullinva.bsky.social/post/3mqu4mqqdlc22Virginia Democrats considered tying the data center tax exemption to clean energy requirements. And then they didn't. https://insideclimatenews.org/news/17072026/virginia-fails-to-require-data-centers-use-clean-energy/17 Jul 2026 15:59 +0000at://did:plc:xksayqib34dockfccv6jsjfo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqu4mqqdlc22https://bsky.app/profile/cpaullinva.bsky.social/post/3mqq2r7bths22Chesapeake Bay cleanup signatories failed to add Indigenous Tribes by their July 1 deadline. Chiefs will be meeting with @abigailspanberger.com this week. A rebooted effort will be led by Sec. David Bulova, @shamaan.bsky.social reports. https://insideclimatenews.org/news/15072026/chesapeake-bay-watershed-agreement-tribes-inclusion/16 Jul 2026 01:15 +0000at://did:plc:xksayqib34dockfccv6jsjfo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqq2r7bths22https://bsky.app/profile/cpaullinva.bsky.social/post/3mqkb44gyqk2wVirginia's electric utility regulators have been hearing calls to readjust how transmission lines to serve data centers are assigned to those customers. @abigailspanberger.com, through her chief energy officer, has weighed in, endorsing a "but for" proposal. https://insideclimatenews.org/news/13072026/virginias-governor-spanberger-data-center-transmission-costs/13 Jul 2026 17:53 +0000at://did:plc:xksayqib34dockfccv6jsjfo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqkb44gyqk2whttps://bsky.app/profile/cpaullinva.bsky.social/post/3mqercnl66k2v“If they’re lucky, they catch one for the boat no matter how many people are on the boat. You know you might get two or three strikes during a trip,” Couch said. https://insideclimatenews.org/news/08072026/climate-change-helping-invasive-predator-alaskan-fish/11 Jul 2026 13:27 +0000at://did:plc:xksayqib34dockfccv6jsjfo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqercnl66k2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/cpaullinva.bsky.social/post/3mq2lgyzqkc2aTangier Island in Chesapeake Bay is about a 50 min boat ride west of the Delmarva Penninsula. About 250 people live on it. They all may need to leave by 2065 as a result of waters rising from climate change. 1/ https://insideclimatenews.org/news/22062026/chesapeake-bay-tangier-island-sea-level-rise/07 Jul 2026 12:15 +0000at://did:plc:xksayqib34dockfccv6jsjfo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mq2lgyzqkc2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/cpaullinva.bsky.social/post/3mpw43dspms2aI can't thank the team at @insideclimatenews.org enough for welcoming me with such open arms. I also can't express how excited I am to share our new podcast to help tell the story of what impacts all of our lives: the climate. Please check it out! https://insideclimatenews.org/news/05072026/inside-climate-podcast-pilot/05 Jul 2026 17:30 +0000at://did:plc:xksayqib34dockfccv6jsjfo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpw43dspms2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/cpaullinva.bsky.social/post/3mom64gi6ek26The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission did a thing today. It told PJM, and other regional grid operators, make rules to connect data centers or it would. Many efforts are already underway in Virginia. Team coverage with @lisasorg.bsky.social https://insideclimatenews.org/news/18062026/federal-energy-regulatory-commission-data-center-orders/19 Jun 2026 01:14 +0000at://did:plc:xksayqib34dockfccv6jsjfo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mom64gi6ek26https://bsky.app/profile/cpaullinva.bsky.social/post/3mod6hoxubk2vMicrosoft is considering abandoning its goal to run on clean energy 24/7 by 2030. The company has many data centers in Virginia, and had supported renewable energy projects in the state. Last year, it supported Dominion's plan for new natural gas. https://insideclimatenews.org/news/15062026/microsoft-backpedals-on-climate-promises/15 Jun 2026 11:27 +0000at://did:plc:xksayqib34dockfccv6jsjfo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mod6hoxubk2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/cpaullinva.bsky.social/post/3mmqtxxffss2zDominion Energy, Transource and FirstEnergy are proposing the Valley Link 765 kilovolt transmission system in Virginia. The Joshua Falls to Yeat segment would span nine counties in rural Virginia's Piedmont region. Many are opposed to the project. https://insideclimatenews.org/news/26052026/rural-virginia-transmission-line-proposal/26 May 2026 11:06 +0000at://did:plc:xksayqib34dockfccv6jsjfo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmqtxxffss2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/cpaullinva.bsky.social/post/3mmly3uten22cThe FEMA Review Council report recommends shifting responsibilities to state and local governments. That comes as the number of billion dollar storms has gone from under 40 in the 1980s to over 120 this decade with six years to go. With Amy Green: https://insideclimatenews.org/news/24052026/fema-review-council-florida/24 May 2026 12:36 +0000at://did:plc:xksayqib34dockfccv6jsjfo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmly3uten22chttps://bsky.app/profile/cpaullinva.bsky.social/post/3mm5zga5rd22eNextEra Energy and Dominion Energy announced a deal to merge Monday. A key component? Data centers. https://insideclimatenews.org/news/18052026/nextera-dominion-utility-mega-merger/18 May 2026 23:23 +0000at://did:plc:xksayqib34dockfccv6jsjfo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mm5zga5rd22ehttps://bsky.app/profile/cpaullinva.bsky.social/post/3mlxwicmjnk2oGov. @abigailspanberger.com signed the Dominion-backed bill to continue the utility’s costly undergrounding program. The bill also includes a provision to have regulators ensure data centers pay their fair share of generation and distribution costs. https://insideclimatenews.org/news/15052026/virginia-governor-signs-dominion-bills/16 May 2026 13:14 +0000at://did:plc:xksayqib34dockfccv6jsjfo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlxwicmjnk2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/cpaullinva.bsky.social/post/3mlmjiirdbc2zThere's a small set of things companies can build before receiving air permits from the EPA. The Trump administration wants to expand what's allowed. Environmental groups say that'll make states' scrutiny of permits tougher. https://insideclimatenews.org/news/11052026/epa-proposes-looser-construction-rules-for-gas-plants-data-centers/12 May 2026 00:22 +0000at://did:plc:xksayqib34dockfccv6jsjfo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlmjiirdbc2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/cpaullinva.bsky.social/post/3mkmxs3uztc2zDominion backed a bill this year to assign more grid costs to data centers. It also continues a costly underground program. Gov. Spanberger wanted to strengthen regulator authority, return earnings to customers. The legislature said no to those amendments. https://insideclimatenews.org/news/29042026/virginia-legislature-bucks-governors-amendments-to-dominion-backed-bills/29 Apr 2026 11:13 +0000at://did:plc:xksayqib34dockfccv6jsjfo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkmxs3uztc2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/cpaullinva.bsky.social/post/3mkbejhbuac2vVirginia Democrats and the data center industry failed again to strike a deal on ending a data center tax exemption. @senlouiselucas.bluesky.bot now wants $1.6 billion over two years. The industry has offered $1.1 billion. One path? Clean energy requirements https://insideclimatenews.org/news/24042026/data-center-tax-exemption-stalls-virginia-budget/24 Apr 2026 20:29 +0000at://did:plc:xksayqib34dockfccv6jsjfo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkbejhbuac2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/cpaullinva.bsky.social/post/3mimomy2j2k2xVirginia Republicans want to pause the gas tax to ease prices at the pump. Electric vehicles avoid gas, and emissions, altogether. The state has a rebate program and debated rural charging stations. Dems, now in control, didn't advance those this year. https://insideclimatenews.org/news/03042026/virginia-gas-costs-tax-relief-electric-vehicles/03 Apr 2026 21:39 +0000at://did:plc:xksayqib34dockfccv6jsjfo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mimomy2j2k2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/cpaullinva.bsky.social/post/3mhjh2ujp4k2aThe Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors approved a special use permit for Tenaska's 1.5 gigawatt gas plant. It comes with some deals that county attorneys acknowledged weren't related to the project enough to be tied to its special use permit. https://insideclimatenews.org/news/20032026/virginia-fluvanna-gas-plant-land-approval/20 Mar 2026 21:20 +0000at://did:plc:xksayqib34dockfccv6jsjfo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhjh2ujp4k2a