Today for IEEE Spectrum. Vieques, an island 10 miles off the coast of Puerto Rico, faces extremely high electricity prices and unreliable power. A team of Cornell researchers is trying to change that by installing a microgrid powered by clean hydrogen and solar. spectrum.ieee.org/puerto-rico-...

IEEE Spectrum@spectrum.ieee.org · 3w ago

The island of Vieques, in Puerto Rico, is building a first-of-its-kind hydrogen-powered microgrid to keep the lights on after storms.

Today for the Daily Yonder, my colleague Sarah Melotte and I mapped the data center boom as it relates to rural America. We looked at where rural data centers are being built, where rural data centers are being opposed, and how construction maps onto existing grid infrastructure.

The Daily Yonder@dailyyonder.bsky.social · last mo.

Though the majority of data centers are located in urban or suburban areas, rural communities face unique challenges in the data center development landscape.

In today's latest for the Daily Yonder, my colleague Ilana Newman and I dig into why Illinois' attempts to regulate data centers failed this session, and what's next for the POWER Act. dailyyonder.com/illinois-is-...

The Daily Yonder@dailyyonder.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Seven out of 10 Illinois residents supported the POWER Act, but it didn’t pass in the Illinois Legislature this session. Supporters are pretty confident the bill will be brought back up later this year.

This week for the Daily Yonder. As the legislative session wraps up in Illinois, state lawmakers are debating the POWER Act to regulate data centers.

The Daily Yonder@dailyyonder.bsky.social · 2mo ago

On the heels of Sangamon County approving a $500 million data center in central Illinois, residents throughout the region express concern over facilities’ impact on energy, water, and the environment.

Yesterday for the Daily Yonder. Rural Illinois activists are behind a bill that would end companies' ability to use eminent domain to build CO2 pipelines in the state. This story came from a trip to central IL last month, where I spoke with one of the lawmakers sponsoring the bipartisan bill.

The Daily Yonder@dailyyonder.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Following success halting multiple carbon dioxide pipeline projects, a local coalition in central Illinois wants to stop the use of eminent domain for these potentially dangerous pipelines. 

Last week for the Daily Yonder. This story is one I worked on for a while, about a rural town in Maine that lost out on nearly a quarter of a million dollars in federal funding for affordable housing, because of a data center that didn't get built. Read it here: dailyyonder.com/how-a-data-c...

The Daily Yonder@dailyyonder.bsky.social · 3mo ago

In rural Midcoast Maine, nearly a quarter of a million dollars in federal money earmarked for housing was rescinded from a small town after local officials sought to use the funds for a data center.

I put together a map for @dailyyonder.bsky.social showing proposed data centers in Maine, now that they're not subject to a moratorium. The majority of data centers under consideration have been slated for rural communities in the state. Full story: dailyyonder.com/maine-govern...

Yesterday for the Daily Yonder. Maine Gov. Janet Mills wrote to legislators that she vetoed a first-of-its-kind data center moratorium bill because it did not include exemptions for a $550 million data center development in rural Jay, Maine, a former mill town.

The Daily Yonder@dailyyonder.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Janet Mills broke with fellow Democrats by vetoing a moratorium bill and clearing the way for a proposed data center in rural Franklin County, Maine.

Maine lawmakers have sent a moratorium bill that would temporarily ban large-scale data centers to Gov. Janet Mills’ desk. If she signs it, Maine would be the first state in the country to impose such a restriction. I dug into what it means for New England, and the U.S., if this bill goes through.

The Daily Yonder@dailyyonder.bsky.social · 4mo ago

The legislation still requires the Governor’s signature to become the law, but it represents a growing bipartisan concern among voters over potential energy rate hikes and water usage.

Today for the Daily Yonder. Illinois lawmakers are considering legislation to bring more regulation to data centers in the state.

The Daily Yonder@dailyyonder.bsky.social · 5mo ago

In places like Sangamon County, communities grapple with questions about energy, water, and the effects on the local workforce and economy.

Volunteers in #Maine are spending spring nights outside with flashlights and rain gear to watch as #amphibians cross the road. Their data helps researchers identify dangerous areas and consider potential infrastructure changes. Read more from @juliatilton.com 👇 themainemonitor.org/amphibian-gr...

Rising physical attacks on grid equipment have pushed utilities to up their game to protect the power supply. One of the main new threats: drones. Here's how utilities are preparing. By @juliatilton.com for @spectrum.ieee.org spectrum.ieee.org/power-grid-a...

How Utilities Are Tackling Rising Physical Threats to Power Grids

Can AI and drones protect power grids from physical attacks? Discover how GridEx tackled this growing challenge.

spectrum.ieee.org

Physical attacks on the grid are rising, prompting utilities to address security threats, including those from drones. But the issue isn't unique to the U.S., grid security experts told me for my latest piece out yesterday in @spectrum.ieee.org. spectrum.ieee.org/power-grid-a...

How Utilities Are Tackling Rising Physical Threats to Power Grids

Can AI and drones protect power grids from physical attacks? Discover how GridEx tackled this growing challenge.

spectrum.ieee.org

As the nationwide expansion of #datacenters arrives in New England, questions about #electricity prices, grid reliability, and impact on water resources are forcing elected leaders in #Maine to pump the brakes. Read more for free from @juliatilton.com below 👇 themainemonitor.org/maine-consid...

Maine considers data centers moratorium

Maine officials want to know how data centers will affect energy costs in the region, which already has high electricity prices.

themainemonitor.org

Today for the Daily Yonder. Maine lawmakers are considering a moratorium on data centers as businesses move into the region.

The Daily Yonder@dailyyonder.bsky.social · 5mo ago

The bill’s advocates want answers about how data centers will affect energy costs in the region, which already has some of the country’s highest electricity prices.

Friday for the Maine Monitor. I dug into what a climate superfund act could look like for Maine, amidst legal challenges against similar laws in New York and Vermont.

The Maine Monitor@themainemonitor.org · 6mo ago

As #Maine grapples with how to pay to fix roads, piers and other infrastructure damaged by severe storms that are increasing as the #climate changes, lawmakers are considering an act that would fine major #fossilfuel companies for past damage. Read more for free from @juliatilton.com below 👇

Last week for the Daily Yonder. This conversation with journalist and filmmaker Jon Bonfiglio was recorded during a reporting trip down the Hudson River in Sept. 2025. We spoke about journalism, the Hudson River Valley, and how rural communities engage in environmentalism.

The Daily Yonder@dailyyonder.bsky.social · 6mo ago

The journalist and recent producer of Against the Current, a documentary film about the Hudson River Valley's history of music and activism, talks about his relationship with the region and the river.

Those who know me know I am a huge Bad Bunny fan. Benito’s performance of El Apagón during his set last night was a pointed message about Puerto Rico’s power grid. I reported on *some* of those challenges for @spectrum.ieee.org last summer.

IEEE Spectrum@spectrum.ieee.org · 6mo ago

When #BadBunny climbed utility poles at last night's #SuperBowl halftime show, his point came across loud and clear: Puerto Rico's power grid is crumbling, and the U.S. isn't doing enough about it. Here's what's happening in Puerto Rico. Photo: Kathryn Riley/AP. spectrum.ieee.org/puerto-rico-...

Yesterday for the Maine Monitor, I wrote about a tiny but mighty species of zooplankton that fuels the Gulf of Maine’s ecosystem.

The Maine Monitor@themainemonitor.org · 6mo ago

In the Gulf of #Maine, studying zooplankton offers clues on the whereabouts of the endangered North Atlantic right #whale, helping improve conservation efforts, reduce collisions with boats, and inform scientists’ understanding of #climatechange. Read more for free from @juliatilton.com👇

Today for the Daily Yonder. This story comes from time spent in the rural communities on the banks of the Hudson River last September, reporting at times from a leaky canoe. dailyyonder.com/hudson-river...

The Daily Yonder@dailyyonder.bsky.social · 6mo ago

We paddled 50 miles down the Hudson River and found the region’s legacy of conservation lives on.

Yesterday for @spectrum.ieee.org. I asked renewable energy firms how their communications have changed under the second Trump administration. In addition to politics, they told me that AI and the need for power are driving their messaging campaigns.

IEEE Spectrum@spectrum.ieee.org · 6mo ago

In an effort to adapt to Trump's energy agenda, renewable energy firms have quickly shifted the way they communicate.

Today for the Daily Yonder. I dug into why rural Wisconsin has become a bit of a hotspot for data center development. Spoiler: it has to do with taxes.

The Daily Yonder@dailyyonder.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Concerns over transparency, tax policy, and data centers’ utility usage drive many rural residents to oppose planned developments.

For last week's Climate Monitor newsletter, I wrote for @themainemonitor.org about the first 44 projects funded with Maine's trail bond, and how the work relates to climate change. themainemonitor.org/building-tra...

Building trails with stronger storms in mind

Maine awarded funds to 44 projects to help communities prepare trails for storms, protect against erosion and increase accessibility.

themainemonitor.org

The best book I read this year was @sarahkendzior.bsky.social‘s The Last American Road Trip. My brief review, plus more rural media recommendations from my colleagues, are at the link below.

The Daily Yonder@dailyyonder.bsky.social · 7mo ago

There’s plenty of noteworthy rural media that we haven’t been able to write about this year. So before we put 2025 too firmly in our rearview mirrors, we asked the Daily Yonder staff for a final roundup of the year’s best releases. Here are some of their favorite movies, music, TV shows, and books.

It's that time of year where every reader donation to @dailyyonder.bsky.social is matched until Dec. 31. If you like what you see (or hear, or watch) from the Yonder, please consider a donation to keep rural journalism going. dailyyonder.com/rural-news-i...

Rural News is Under Threat, So We’re Turning Up the Volume

It’s a challenging time for local news and information. But we’re tackling those challenges head on, with your help.

dailyyonder.com

Last week, the folks at GNAT-TV in Vermont were kind enough to have me on their Press Pass program. I spoke about my recent energy and climate reporting in rural New England and across the U.S. for @dailyyonder.bsky.social. We talked about data centers, FEMA, and more: gnat-tv.org/press-pass-j...

Press Pass – Julia Tilton of The Daily Yonder

gnat-tv.org

In this week’s Climate Monitor, I wrote about what the end of the federal tax credits for heat pumps mean for Mainers.

The Maine Monitor@themainemonitor.org · 8mo ago

Homeowners may see costs associated with installing and running a #heatpump rise in 2026, particularly as #electricity rates climb. Average electricity prices in #Maine increased at the third-highest rate over the 10 years, an analysis by The Monitor found. Read more from @juliatilton.bsky.social 👇

Today for the Daily Yonder. Energy policy experts say rural utility customers face unique challenges around access to fuel and energy affordability programs, at the same time as electricity prices continue to climb.

The Daily Yonder@dailyyonder.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Energy policy experts say LIHEAP, a federal heat assistance program, isn’t enough to address growing energy poverty.

Catching up after Thanksgiving: Sat down with @aseitzwald.bsky.social of The Midcoast Villager for last week’s Q&A in @dailyyonder.bsky.social. We talked shop about rural news, earning trust, and what to make of the media industry in 2025. dailyyonder.com/qa-rural-mai...

Q&A: Rural Maine Newspaper Editor Alex Seitz-Wald | The Daily Yonder

Editor’s Note: This interview first appeared in Path Finders, an email newsletter from the Daily Yonder. Each week, Path Finders features a Q&A with a

dailyyonder.com

Back in September, I spent a day in the woods (almost) getting lost down a dirt road with a team of carbon scientists. We were visiting one of Maine's first woodland owners to enroll in carbon credits. Despite carbon market controversies, I found rural landowners optimistic about their prospects.

The Daily Yonder@dailyyonder.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Across Maine and eight Appalachian states, small-scale forest landowners are earning income by letting their trees grow and store carbon over time.