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Green News Report with Brad Friedman & Desi Doyen 5/7/2026

‘Green News Report’ – May 7, 2026  |  With Brad Friedman and Desi Doyen   · · · · ·   ‘Green News Report’ – May 7, 2026  |  With Brad Friedman and Desi Doyen

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IN ‘GREEN NEWS EXTRA’ (see links below): Storm season is here and the National Weather Service is short-handed; Trump Admin opens door to resumed ‘cyanide bomb’ use on BLM land; Texas lawmakers reject bills that could have protected residents from deadly floods; Health advocates demand federal action in nitrate ‘health emergency’; Officials investigate rare brain cancer cases in Eastern Kentucky children … PLUS: Georgia officials knew carpet mills were polluting water – people did not … and much, MUCH more! …

STORIES DISCUSSED ON TODAY’S ‘GREEN NEWS REPORT’…

• Gas and jet fuel prices have shot up:
• Americans cut spending due to higher gas prices and see no relief in sight, CNBC survey finds (CNBC)
• NERC warns data centers pose ‘immediate risks’ to grid reliability:
• NERC sounds the alarm that data centers risk overtaxing the grid (Latitude Media):
  [D]ata centers currently aren’t required to ride through minor grid disturbances, such as a local lightning strike or a line fault. When a huge amount of load drops off at once, it stresses grid infrastructure like transformers and generators. That risk is growing as hyperscalers plan to connect gigawatt-scale data centers in the coming years, which could rival the power consumption of mid-size U.S. cities.
• NERC issues Level 3 alert, mandates action to address data center load losses (Utility Dive):
  Computational loads pose “immediate risks,” the grid watchdog said. Certain grid participants must take seven actions by Aug. 3 in response.
• NERC Alert – Level 3 – Essential Action to Industry [PDF] (NERC)
• VIDEO: NERC President and CEO Jim Robb testifies on the continuing rise of reliability risks (NERC/Youtube, 3/17/2026)
• Upcoming El Nino could be the strongest in a century:
• Why the coming El Niño could be one of the strongest on record (Washington Post/MSN):
  Chances are rising that an El Niño expected to form soon could become one of the most powerful such events on record, according to new data released this week…“El Niño patterns are correlated with food shortages, water impacts and even civil conflict in tropical countries,” said climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe. “So these natural patterns of variability, as short-lived as they are, still have a profound impact on human society and human well-being.”
• Odds of a ‘super El Niño’ increase, adding to fears of extreme weather around the world (NBC News)
• El Niño is now 100% likely to arrive this summer and forecasters say it could be the strongest ever recorded (Morning Consult)
• Models Still Tracking Strong El Niño (This Is Not Cool)
• Ohio county votes to uphold solar project ban:
• Voters in MAGA-friendly Ohio county preserve ban on wind and solar (AP)
• Resident-led campaign fails to reverse Ohio county’s ban on renewables (Canary Media):
  Locals pushed deep-red Richland County to be the first to nix a wind and solar ban. The close vote suggests bipartisan support for clean energy.
• Emails reveal Richland County commissioner’s ‘cross burning’ comments about residents who opposed ban on wind and solar farms in Ohio county (Energy & Policy Institute)
• Fossil fuel promoters tied to campaign to keep Ohio county renewable ban (Canary Media)
• Ohio solar ban survives voter challenge (Farm Progress)
• Ohio Let Counties Ban Solar. in Richland, It’s Now on the Ballot (AP, 4/30/2026)
• VIDEO: Farmers say ‘clean energy is my retirement’ (This Is Not Cool)
• Ohio Farmer: Clean Energy Instead of Bailouts (This Is Not Cool)
• Trump Defense Department halting US wind energy projects:
• More Than 150 Wind Projects Stall as Pentagon Delays Reviews (NY Times):
  The Trump administration is blocking more than 150 onshore wind farms across the United States by delaying military reviews that were once considered routine, according to a leading industry trade group..
• Pentagon blocking 160 wind farms, industry group says (E&E News)
• VIDEO: As War for Oil Destroys American’s Lives – the Real Threat is Wind Turbines (This Is Not Cool):
  Financial Times: The Trump administration has brought US onshore wind development to a halt citing national security concerns, representing a major escalation in the president’s crusade against renewable energy…The wind farms could generate 30 gigawatts, enough to power 15 million homes. Letters sent to developers in early April said the agency was reviewing its processes for evaluating energy projects’ impact on national security. The moves represent a dramatic escalation of the administration’s effort to shut down wind energy in the US, reaching for developments on private lands as well as public ones.
• NextEra Energy CEO on earnings, Trump’s energy agenda and gas generation business (CNBC/Youtube, 1/24/2025)
• California pilot project proves efficacy of solar-covered irrigation canals:
• Solar on canals reduces water evaporation by 70% and algae growth by 85% (PV Magazine):
  The 1.6 MW Nexus pilot project in California has demonstrated that solar panels installed over irrigation canals can significantly reduce water evaporation and algae growth by 85%, while also showing operational efficiency…From a technical perspective, the project also serves as a testbed for multiple design configurations. These include large-span structures over wide canals, smaller systems on narrower channels, vertical installations along canal banks, and early-stage retractable prototypes.
• California’s Battery Array Is as Powerful as 12 Nuclear Power Plants. Here’s What’s on the Horizon. (Inside Climate News):
  In late March…For the first time, California discharged just over 12,000 megawatts, equivalent to 12 large nuclear plants, of energy from its battery arrays. That’s enough to meet over 40 percent of the state’s energy demand.
• How Pakistan’s people-led solar boom is easing impact of Middle East energy crisis (Guardian)
• Governor Newsom announces the completion of first-of-its-kind solar-covered canal in the Central Valley – piloting a new way to save water and reduce costs (Office of Gov. Gavin Newsom)

‘GREEN NEWS EXTRA’ (Stuff we didn’t have time for in today’s audio report)…

For a comprehensive roundup of daily environmental news you can trust, see the Society of Environmental Journalists’ Daily Headlines page

• Storm season is here and the National Weather Service is short-handed (NY Times)
• Trump Admin opens door to resumed ‘cyanide bomb’ use on BLM land (Pro Publica)
• Texas lawmakers reject bills that could have protected residents from deadly floods (Pro Publica)
• Health advocates demand federal action in nitrate ‘health emergency’ (The New Lede)
• Officials investigate rare brain cancer cases in Eastern Kentucky children (Kentucky Lantern)
• Georgia officials knew carpet mills were polluting water – people did not (AP)
• It’s the Age of Electricity and America isn’t ready (NY Times)
• Stop emissions, stop warming: A climate reality check (Dr. Andrew Dessler, Climate Brink)
• How to electrify your life when you rent (The Verge)
• Feeling Overwhelmed About Going All-Electric at Home? Here’s How to Get Started (Inside Climate News)
• Feeling Hopeless About the Climate? Try Our 30-Day Action Plan (The Revelator)
• Climate Change Will Force a New American Migration (Pro Publica)
• Exxon’s Snake Oil: 100 years of deception (Columbia Journalism Review)
• Project Drawdown: 100 Solutions to Reverse Global Warming (Drawdown.org)