Colin Kinniburgh
@colinreports.bsky.social
Reporter covering climate and environment for New York Focus. Tips: colin@nysfocus.com, @colin.36 on Signal or DM for cell
One company spent $50 billion on AI infrastructure in three months. Three months! That’s almost as much as *all* US clean energy projects announced this year, including wind, solar, batteries, EVs, heat pumps… and many of those projects may not even get built
Google shares tumble 11% after $51bn AI outlay deepens cash burn
Search giant admits its ‘AI mode’ has hurt traditional search as sales and profits undershoot expectations
ft.com
worth noting though that the company also pretty much dismisses other sources of energy. “Newer sources of generation, such as solar, wind, battery storage, nuclear, and geothermal power, may not be available in the quantities or on the timelines we require, or may be available only at higher cost”
molly taft@mollytaft.com · 2d agoNEW: buried in anthropic's hefty ipo documents released yesterday is an interesting admission: the company's increasing reliance on dirty gas to power its data centers is actually exposing it to financial risk wrote about it for @wired.com www.wired.com/story/anthro...
NEW: buried in anthropic's hefty ipo documents released yesterday is an interesting admission: the company's increasing reliance on dirty gas to power its data centers is actually exposing it to financial risk wrote about it for @wired.com www.wired.com/story/anthro...
Anthropic Flags Gas Supply as One of Its Biggest Near-Term Risks
The data center buildout could cause a massive increase in gas prices as companies scramble for limited supplies and infrastructure fails to meet demand.
wired.com
US data center boom looks set to wipe out 15 years of progress on emissions, per Sierra Club. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
New US Data Centers Projected to Emit More Carbon Than All of Mexico
The boom is set to produce enough greenhouse gases to cancel out 15 years of declines in power-sector emissions, according to a Sierra Club analysis.
bloomberg.com
NEW: DOGE affiliate Jeremy Lewin oversaw the destruction of USAID even as HR was trying to get him to fill out his onboarding paperwork, per emails reviewed by @wired.com. Experts say it’s unclear he had the legal authority to do what he did. @mollykraskin.bsky.social has the scoop:
A 28-Year-Old DOGE Operative Gutted USAID. HR Had No Record of Him Working There
Despite the agency's human resources department saying he hadn’t even been onboarded, Jeremy Lewin oversaw the destruction of USAID. It’s not clear he had the legal authority to do so.
wired.com
JUST POSTED: Today at The NYT we are publishing a major investigation into how President Trump used his executive powers to expose millions of Americans to greater cancer risks. A six month-long investigation built on more than 10,000 pages of FOIA records. Read it www.nytimes.com/2026/10/24/c...
How Trump Gave the Worst Polluters a Free Pass (Gift Article)
The president temporarily waived clean-air rules for industrial facilities that spew cancer-causing gases. Then his appointees worked to gut the regulations altogether.
nytimes.com
Records show that counties billed ICE millions before New York passed a law banning them from holding the agency’s detainees.
NY Jails Received Historic Sums to Detain Immigrants for ICE
New York county jails detained thousands of immigrants for ICE. Records show they are set to receive around $20 million in exchange for their help.
nysfocus.com
“Between voters who did not vote in the first round, but voted in the second, and other Brazilians who had supported losing candidates in the first round, Mr. Lula drew 10 million additional votes on Sunday” www.nytimes.com/2026/10/25/w...
Lula Defeats Bolsonaro for Brazil Presidency, in Blow to Latin America’s Right
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva triumphed over Flávio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of the right-wing leader he defeated four years ago.
nytimes.com
By recycling waste heat, thermal energy networks offer what some analysts call “unmatched efficiency." Last week, the state’s energy regulator greenlit two thermal energy networks, while rejecting nine others.
How New York Plans to Test Neighborhood-Scale Clean Heat
New York approved thermal energy network pilots in Buffalo and Haverstraw but rejected nine others over concerns about costs.
nysfocus.com
Many see neighborhood-scale thermal energy networks as key to greening New York’s aging buildings. And after four years of planning, they’re finally going to get a test run. Here’s my look at where things stand after regulators approved two utility projects — but scrapped nine others.
How New York Plans to Test Neighborhood-Scale Clean Heat
New York approved thermal energy network pilots in Buffalo and Haverstraw but rejected nine others over concerns about costs.
nysfocus.com
NY is moving ahead with a key technology to shift homes to clean heating — but not as fast as some hoped. In a unanimous vote, the state’s energy regulator greenlit two neighborhood-scale electrification projects known as “thermal energy networks."
How New York Plans to Test Neighborhood-Scale Clean Heat
New York approved thermal energy network pilots in Buffalo and Haverstraw but rejected nine others over concerns about costs.
nysfocus.com
Judging by their websites, the GOP and Working Families candidates facing Assemblymember Carrie Woerner seem like opposites. But the sites have something in common. Metadata reviewed by New York Focus shows both were created by the GOP candidate’s aide.
A NY GOP Aide Built His Candidate’s Website — And a Rival’s
Metadata shows that Working Families Party candidate Thomas Kenny's website was created by a campaign aide for Allen Caruso.
nysfocus.com
Very big deal: The Nuclear Company just unveiled plans to build 6.6 gigawatts of reactors at one site in Kentucky. I looked at why, in an era where much of the industry is focused on newfangled technologies and strategies, the startup China's model. heatmap.news/energy/the-n...
The Nuclear Company Unveils a Chinese-Style Reactor Megaproject in Kentucky
‘Our entire company was built for this purpose.’
heatmap.news
A Buffalo plant that makes electric transformers is expanding 50% and adding 70+ jobs. Seems valuable given the shortage of transformers right now? hoodline.com/2026/10/chee...
Niagara Power Transformer $71M Cheektowaga Expansion
A Cheektowaga manufacturer just broke ground on its biggest expansion ever — and 73 new jobs are coming with it.
hoodline.com
When domestic disputes turn violent, many survivors turn to the police, who respond to hundreds of thousands of such calls a year and receive training on how to handle them. But what happens when the alleged abusers are cops themselves?
How NY State Police Minimize Domestic Violence Allegations
A new trove of New York State Police disciplinary records reveals light penalties for credible domestic violence allegations against officers and staff.
nysfocus.com
I don’t have data on this, but I feel like this year’s insane fuel oil prices are driving faster decarbonization in the rural Northeast US would love to see evidence if anyone’s got any view out my window today: RYCOR guys here to get the house next door off propane
A super PAC funded by FanDuel and DraftKings has spent over $3.5 million backing incumbent Dems in this November’s election — the second-highest sum of any super PAC this cycle. Intriguing scoop from @melissamanno.bsky.social and Benjy Sachs:
DraftKings and FanDuel Double Down on Political Parlays in NY
Super PACs backed by sports betting companies spent $4 million on New York elections since the June primary — most of it spent in recent weeks.
nysfocus.com
Nepal passed 5% battery electric vehicle share in August 2021 and is at 75%. The U.S. passed 5% in October 2022 and is at 6%.
WaPo photojournalist Heidi Levine: “Luckily, I had my flak jacket and helmet, otherwise I probably wouldn’t even be here, because they just kept kicking and kicking me” www.theguardian.com/world/2026/o...
Israeli settlers attack olive farmers and Washington Post journalist in West Bank
Settlers hurl rocks at Palestinians and beat photographer Heidi Levine as part of yearly attacks to disrupt harvest
theguardian.com
The rich buy survival. The poor die. Right? Oh wait, even the rich cannot get it because they just ran out. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Singapore Haze Drives Air Purifiers, Face Masks to Sell Out
The thick haze blanketing Singapore as wildfires rage in neighboring Indonesia is driving a surge in demand for air purifiers and face masks.
bloomberg.com
Governor Kathy Hochul had to refund millions of dollars after her primary was canceled. But she found a workaround to use much of that money to fuel an expensive general election fight.
Hochul Had to Return Millions. She Found a Workaround.
The governor’s campaign encouraged donors to redirect their refunds to the state party, which later transferred $10 million to her campaign.
nysfocus.com
👀 NY's Office of Renewable Energy Siting has denied a permit for the first time, blocking the long embattled Sherpherd’s Run solar project in Copake. They cite the impact on wetlands and flooding. content.govdelivery.com/accounts/NYS...
![[Press release]
ORES DENIES PERMIT FOR SHEPHERD’S RUN SOLAR PROJECT
Decision Supported by Evidence-Based Record Created by the ORES Process
ALBANY - The New York State Department of Public Service today announced that the Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission (ORES) has denied the application of Hecate Energy Columbia County 1, LLC for a permit to construct and operate Shepherd’s Run Solar Project, a proposed 42 megawatt (MW) project in the Town of Copake (Town), Columbia County. The denial is based on ORES’s determination that the applicant had not demonstrated compliance with applicable environmental considerations including flood protection requirements.
Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission Interim Executive Director Jason Zehr said, “ORES conducts thorough reviews of permit applications to ensure they meet all relevant standards. Weighing the full record of evidence presented in this case showed that the application did not meet the criteria for permit issuance.”
Under Public Service Law Article VIII, an applicant seeking a permit for a major renewable energy facility through ORES bears the burden of demonstrating that its proposed facility will comply with applicable laws and regulations when constructed and operated in accordance with permit conditions.
The ORES process requires applicants to contribute $1,000 per megawatt of proposed generating capacity to a local agency account. These funds give host municipalities and community participants access to legal and technical expertise to review, assess, and comment on proposed projects. This assistance supports meaningful participation and contributes to a complete record for an informed permitting decision. During the review of the Shepherd’s Run Solar Project permit application, the Town of Copake and other community intervenors were awarded $42,000 by the project applicant pursuant to the ORES requirements. The funding is designed to assist local governments…](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:64drjustsrvsrcl2a2n2jnyf/bafkreietn4p3pbbqoghhgwd7a4losqkjujeqnoosev3a4abulupkdvrccm)
If you’ve heard Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman speak or watched one of his campaign ads, you’ve probably heard him say that he will slash your energy bill. But can he actually do that on his first day in office — or at all?
Fact Check: Can Blakeman Cut Utility Bills in Half on Day 1?
Bruce Blakeman, the Republican nominee for governor in New York, has made slashing energy costs a central theme, but has presented no plan.
nysfocus.com
👀 18 NYS Assemblymembers led by Khaleel Anderson sent a letter to the Public Service Commission questioning National Grid’s proposed “rate freeze.” “A proposal that delays scrutiny while shifting costs into the future does not represent meaningful customer protection,” they write.
![[Letterhead: Khaleel M. Anderson, NYS Assembly District 31]
October 9, 2026
JOINT LETTER FROM ELECTED OFFICIALS REGARDING
NATIONAL GRID’S PROPOSED “RATE STABILIZATION PROPOSAL”
Re: Matter Number: 26-01149
Case Number: 26-G-0384
Petition of The Brooklyn Union Gas Company d/b/a National Grid NY and KeySpan Gas East
Corporation d/b/a National Grid for Authorization to Permit their Existing Base Tariff Rates to Remain in
Effect During the Year Ending March 31, 2028 and Other Related Relief.
To: The Honorable Commissioners of the New York State Public Service Commission
Dear Commissioners:
We, the undersigned elected officials, write to express our urgent concerns regarding National Grid’s
“Rate Stabilization Proposal” currently before the New York State Public Service Commission in Case
26-G-0384.
National Grid has characterized this proposal as a “rate freeze” that will provide relief for customers.
However, this characterization does not reflect the full impact of the proposal. Freezing current base
delivery rates does not eliminate costs, prevent future spending, or guarantee affordability for customers.
Instead, the proposal would allow National Grid to continue pursuing significant capital investments
while potentially deferring costs for future recovery from customers, including carrying costs and
interest.
National Grid had the option to continue operating under its existing rate plan. Instead, it has chosen to
seek Commission approval of a new proposal and publicly frame that request as a benefit for customers.
When a utility chooses to create a public narrative around a proposal with significant consequences for
ratepayers, New Yorkers should have a transparent accounting of what is actually being proposed.
By categorizing its proposal as a rate freeze, the due process procedures of the Public Service](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:64drjustsrvsrcl2a2n2jnyf/bafkreigk73ixv4hhe67b57ofhh36dgep32ntfq7gbpq4oeurl46d4j5eje)
![[Signatures]
Assembly Member Michael Cashman
District 115
Assembly Member Sarahana Shrestha
District 103
Assembly Member Steven Raga
District 30
Assembly Member Emily Gallagher
District 50
Assembly Member Latrice M. Walker, Esq.
District 55
Assembly Member Diana Moreno
District 36
Assembly Member Phara Souffrant Forrest
District 57
Assembly Member Marcela Mitaynes
District 51
Assembly Member Dana Levenberg
District 95](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:64drjustsrvsrcl2a2n2jnyf/bafkreiamk3ripga6xukw2mg7gx2trcvmkh77v5r24qosfkxk72n44pml4q)
Lobbying firm Brown & Weinraub’s committee allows its clients to route unlimited sums to support candidates who back their agendas.
Albany’s Top Lobbying Firm Starts Its Own Super PAC
Brown & Weinraub’s super PAC lets clients route unlimited sums to support New York candidates who back their agendas in Albany.
nysfocus.com
In the span of 10 days this summer, there were two separate fuel truck crashes within ~15 miles of each other in Nassau County. One spilled 2,000 gallons of gasoline into a creek that flows into the Jamaica Bay. Is there any way this kind of thing could be avoided? (asking for a friend)
![[Article screenshot]
12,000-gallon gasoline tanker overturns in Garden City, Long Island
[video still]
Officials say the leak was believed to be stopped with only 200 gallons of gasoline having spilled.
By Eyewitness News [WABC logo]
Monday, August 10, 2026
GARDEN CITY, Long Island (WABC) -- A 12,000-gallon gasoline tanker overturned during an accident on Long Island Monday night.
The Westbury Fire Department responded to a motor vehicle accident involving an overturned 12,000-gallon gasoline tanker at Old Country Road and Clinton Road in Garden City just after 8 p.m.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:64drjustsrvsrcl2a2n2jnyf/bafkreifmajxv6wvk7tjf2qjb5dixzweaqdbsrggp4pl6pmouh7rs25t3vy)
![Tanker spills about 2,000 gallons of fuel after overturning in Queens
[video still]
John Del Giorno has the latest from NewsCopter 7.
[WABC logo]
Wednesday, August 19, 2026
ROSEDALE, Queens (WABC) -- Crews had to clean up thousands of gallons of spilled gasoline after a tanker truck overturned on a Queens road on Wednesday morning.
The accident happened on Rockaway Boulevard in Rosedale just after 11 a.m.
Officials said the 18-wheeler was leaking about 2,000 gallons of fuel into the roadway, storm drains, and the canal, which leads to other channels.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:64drjustsrvsrcl2a2n2jnyf/bafkreib7klrakd4hsuscqtarhq4e3hs6k4tb5nl3t5lz4zyqdgoqmyuyjm)
BREAKING: For the first time in 10 months, the U.S. admitted a refugee who is not a white South African. In September, the U.S. admitted 3,386 white South Africans and two Afghans (in D.C.) In FY 2026, the U.S. has admitted a total of 16,287 white South Africans, five Afghans, and nobody else.
rpc.state.gov
Alex Ip 葉清霖@alexip718.com · 2mo agoBREAKING: In August, *every single one* of the 2,646 refugees admitted in the U.S. were white South Africans. In FY 2026, the U.S. has admitted a total of 12,901 white South Africans, three Afghans (back in November), and nobody else. For reference, the U.S. admitted 100,060 refugees in 2024.
"A series of deadly heat waves from May to August overwhelmed Germany’s healthcare and emergency response systems and led to an estimated 16,000 heat-related deaths during the summer, the most heat mortalities ever recorded in the highly developed country."
Mass Heat Wave Deaths in Europe Show Climate Extremes Are Outpacing Adaptation Efforts - Inside Climate News
As preparedness lags, many regions around the world could be overwhelmed by rising temperatures, climate experts warn.
insideclimatenews.org
"Gasoline-only cars fell below 50% of global new vehicle sales for the first time, as the Hormuz crisis and record fuel prices accelerated the shift toward EVs."
Fuel Price Shock Pushes Global Gas Car Sales Below 50% for First Time | OilPrice.com
The share of gasoline cars in global vehicle sales fell below 50% for the first time ever as the Hormuz shock and the resulting record-high fuel prices accelerated the previously sluggish shift toward...
oilprice.com
ICYMI: National Grid is pitching a “rate freeze” for its downstate customers. But critics say it’s a backdoor rate hike. Here’s what I found in the filings: nysfocus.com/2026/10/01/n...
How National Grid’s Gas Rate Freeze May Raise Bills
National Grid calls its plan a gas rate freeze, but critics say NYC and Long Island-area customers could pay more later.
nysfocus.com