Sierra Club

The Louisiana Public Service Commission voted 3-1 to allow Meta to keep detailed records for its $50 billion data center project secret, overturning a judge's order for public disclosure. The ruling pertains to the calculation of job projections and electricity needs for Meta’s Hyperion campus in Richland Parish. This decision was reached despite opposition from groups like the Sierra Club, who had requested the figures from the commission.

The Sierra Club challenges Louisiana's approval of Meta's Hyperion data center permits, arguing emissions from emergency diesel generators were excluded, potentially classifying the facility as a major pollution source. Meta claims compliance with regulations, stating generators are for emergency use only.

The Sierra Club claims Louisiana officials underestimated emissions from Meta’s Richland Parish data center by approving a minor source pollution permit instead of a major source permit. The permit excludes emissions from Entergy Corp.’s natural gas turbines and undercounts diesel generator emissions, according to the group.

Environmentalists and two Native American tribes filed lawsuits against the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to block its approval of a decommissioned pipeline in the Mojave Desert for a water project by Cadiz Inc. The project aims to extract groundwater from the Mojave Desert aquifer, which environmental groups argue will cause ecological harm by overdrafting the aquifer and drying critical freshwater springs.

Environmental groups sued the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over a nationwide permit that fast-tracks oil and gas pipeline approvals without required environmental reviews under the Clean Water Act. The permit, used for projects like the Mountain Valley and Dakota Access pipelines, allows developers to bypass comprehensive reviews by treating large projects as multiple smaller ones.

A U.S. District Court Judge denied DTE Energy and EES Coke's request to pause a court order requiring compliance with the Clean Air Act at their Zug Island facility. The judge cited public interest and ongoing harm from emissions, upholding a $100 million penalty, new permits, and a $20 million community fund. DTE and EES Coke have appealed the decision to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Environmental groups sued the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for allegedly skipping a required environmental review process for a $15 billion hyperscale data center in Port Washington. The lawsuit claims the DNR avoided requiring an environmental impact statement after Vantage, the project's lead company, threatened to abandon the project. The data center, built by Vantage, Oracle, and OpenAI, faces additional legal challenges over energy tariff requirements.

Southern California air regulators can proceed with new limits on gas-powered appliances, including water heaters, after a 2-1 ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld restrictions in four Los Angeles-area counties. The decision impacts approximately 1.3 million water heaters and industrial boilers in L.A., Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties, with the Sierra Club listed as a defendant.

National Democrats are urging Maine's Graham Platner to withdraw from the Senate race after a former girlfriend alleged he sexually assaulted her in 2021. Key figures including Bernie Sanders, Chuck Schumer, and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee have called for his resignation, with multiple endorsements and resources withdrawn. Platner has denied the allegations but may step aside by July 13, as the race is critical for Senate control.

Wyoming is urging a federal judge to split two lawsuits challenging the Bureau of Land Management’s reduced protections for greater sage grouse and transfer the Wyoming-related claims to Wyoming. Conservation groups from seven organizations filed suits in Montana federal court, alleging the BLM weakened habitat protections by expanding oil and gas leasing, while Wyoming argues its management plan is distinct and merits a separate venue.

Environmentalists sued Barstow, California, to block the approval of the Barstow International Gateway, a 4,500-acre rail yard in the Mojave Desert. The lawsuit claims the project's environmental impact analysis is flawed, citing increased diesel pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and harm to local wildlife. The city approved the $4 billion BNSF Railway project, which aims to streamline container transport from Asian ports but faces criticism for its environmental and health impacts.

The Department of Energy has ordered certain generating units to remain operational during tight grid conditions, incurring approximately $550 million in annual costs, according to the Sierra Club. The emergency orders aim to maintain grid stability but raise questions about their benefits.

The U.S. Department of Energy ordered the Orlando Utilities Commission to keep its 39-year-old Stanton Energy Center coal plant operational for 90 days, citing an energy emergency linked to potential data centers. The Sierra Club criticized the decision as federal overreach, and Orlando's air quality was listed as 'poor' on June 5.

A former munitions testing site in Bridgeport, Connecticut, known as Remington Woods, is being redeveloped as an urban forest after decades of cleanup. Activists and environmental groups pushed for conservation, leading the property owner, Sporting Goods Properties, to preserve 368 acres as open space and develop a solar and battery-storage facility on the remaining land.

The Michigan Senate Energy and Environment Committee is examining the impact of the Trump administration's cancellation of rural energy grants through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). Affected businesses, including Harvest Solar and Westcroft Gardens and Farm, argue that the USDA created a 'Catch-22' by rescinding funds for projects that required a finalized agreement after completion, leaving 18 businesses unable to secure reimbursement.

The US is set to hold an oil and gas lease sale in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, with opponents citing climate change impacts and prior lack of industry interest, while supporters argue it could boost production and jobs. Conservation groups have urged major companies like ConocoPhillips and Hilcorp to avoid participating due to legal risks and public opposition, though the Trump administration has mandated lease sales in multiple Alaskan regions. The USGS estimates the refuge's coastal plain may hold significant oil reserves, but drilling remains inactive there.

Power the Future, a pro-energy advocacy group, is urging Congress to investigate opposition to data centers, alleging that millions in funding from billionaires and potentially foreign sources are fueling environmental nonprofits' campaigns. The group highlights organizations like the Sierra Club and Earthjustice, which it claims are misallocating resources to block data center construction, arguing such infrastructure is critical for U.S. economic and national security.

Power the Future, an energy advocacy group, urges Congress to investigate opposition to data centers, alleging it is funded by billionaires and foreign-backed entities. The group cites nonprofits like the Sierra Club and Earthjustice, which have received millions in donations to oppose data center expansions, arguing such infrastructure is critical for U.S. economic and national security.

Power the Future, a pro-energy advocacy group, alleges that wealthy foreigners and billionaires are funding anti-data center campaigns in the U.S. through nonprofits, urging Congress to investigate. The group claims these efforts threaten critical AI and infrastructure development, while environmental organizations argue data centers harm local communities.