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• As power bills rise, governors want more control over the largest grid in the United States.

  The governors of over a quarter of U.S. States are seeking greater control of the nation's largest power grid, PJM Interconnection. Electricity prices are rising as the demand for data centers driven by AI outpaces new supply. The rising power bills of PJM (which operates the grid that covers 13 states plus the District of Columbia), or one fifth of Americans, has led to a backlash in the political arena over the past year, and some governors have threatened to abandon the regional grid. A person familiar with plans said that the group of state leaders will announce the "PJM governors' collaborative" during a summit on Monday in Philadelphia. The goal is to promote their interests within PJM. PJM is a member-run organisation in which the states have no vote. The source stated that "historic reforms will be discussed at the summit by the PJM Governors' Collaborative to give states a greater role in future decision-making." The soaring prices at PJM are due to a combination of factors including the high cost of producing and transporting electricity, and a surge in data center demand from Big Tech. PJM has the highest concentration of data centers that are energy-intensive in the world. In the region, power bills include capacity payments. These are payments made to operators of power plants to ensure they are running during times of high demand in order to avoid blackouts. These payments, which are determined by energy auctions every year, have increased by 1,000% in the last two auctions due to the expected rise in data center demand and the stagnant power supply. PJM's board of directors is made up of transmission line owners, independent power plant operators and other members who have the right to vote. While the states do not have a say in PJM, they still exerted influence over it. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro was successful in his efforts to set a ceiling and floor price for PJM’s latest capacity auction. A source said that governors want to play a formal role in shaping PJM, which could be modeled on similar groups in the Midwest and New England grids. Shapiro, who runs the biggest electricity-producing state in the PJM region, plans to discuss issues including the PJM stakeholder process, market reforms, connecting new power supplies faster and increasing transparency in PJM, according to a release by the governor's office.

• Dallas airports are back to normal after FAA explains the problem that caused the outage

  The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) detailed the telecom failures of a telecommunications provider that caused more than 2,000 flights to be disrupted. American Airlines, Dallas Fort Worth Airport's largest carrier, reported that more than 100,000 passengers had been affected by telecom problems which began around 2 pm CT on Friday and continued until the morning of Saturday. American Airlines said that it had to cancel 530 flights on Friday and 160 flights on Saturday. It also had to divert 65 other flights bound for Dallas. Southwest Airlines, Dallas Love Field's largest carrier, has delayed or cancelled more than 1,100 flights on Friday. Southwest Airlines reported 580 extreme delays Friday. American Airlines, which has also experienced a delay of more than 350 flights in the last week, warned that there may be additional operational impact. The FAA stated that "multiple failures of Frontier Communications' telecommunications data service" caused the outage which affected the FAA Dallas Terminal Radar Approach Control (which handles operations at both Dallas airports). Frontier Communications has agreed to sell itself to Verizon Communications, but this deal is not yet complete. The FAA stated that the oversight by L3Harris contractor failed to ensure the redundancies of the system worked properly. A Frontier spokesperson said that a third party contractor in Argyle (Texas) accidentally cut the fiber lines of their company, affecting communication systems at Dallas airports. She said that her team coordinated with the FAA, the airports, and worked over night to stabilize the system. As a result, the airports were back up and running by today. American Airlines, when describing the events leading to flight disruptions, stated that two fiber optic cables were cut on Friday, affecting data supporting FAA radio frequencies, radars and computer systems. David Seymour (American Airlines' Chief Operating Officer) wrote in an email sent to its employees that the efforts of L3Harris, Frontier and other airlines to restore service were not moving fast enough. He also said the airline would be assessing the financial impact. Seymour, along with the airline's chief executive officer, Robert Isom had difficulty "reaching leaders at Frontier and L3Harris". "We are extremely disappointed that neither of the providers seems to be in a hurry to resolve this issue," Seymour wrote in an email. A spokesperson for L3Harris said that a defect in the switching gear of the local telecommunications carrier and a cut fiber affected flights. The company stated that "L3Harris immediately helped with troubleshooting the impacted circuits, and critical services were returned to the FAA." We will continue to work with the FAA and telecom provider to restore services to full resilience. In recent years, the FAA has been plagued by a series of technical issues that highlight the fragility of the U.S. Air Traffic Control System. Congress awarded $12.5 billion in July to revamp the system. (Reporting by David Shepardson, Lucia Mutikani and Leslie Adler; editing by Leslie Adler).

• Dallas airports are back to normal after FAA details the problem that caused the outage

  Flight operations returned to normal at two Dallas area airports on Saturday after the Federal Aviation Administration revealed that a Verizon Communications unit had suffered telecom failures which caused more than 2,000 flights to be disrupted. American Airlines, Dallas Fort Worth Airport's largest carrier, reported that more than 100,000 passengers had been affected by telecom problems which began around 2 pm CT on Friday and continued until the morning of Saturday. American Airlines said that it had to cancel 530 flights on Friday and 160 flights on Saturday. It also had to divert 65 other flights bound for Dallas. Southwest Airlines, Dallas Love Field's largest carrier, has delayed or cancelled more than 1,100 flights on Friday. Southwest Airlines reported 580 extreme delays Friday. American Airlines, which has also experienced a delay of more than 350 flights in the last week, warned that there may be additional operational impact. The FAA reported that "multiple failures of telecommunications services provided by Verizon Communications Frontier unit" led to the outage which affected the FAA's Dallas Terminal Radar Approach Control (which handles operations at both Dallas airports). The FAA stated that the oversight by L3Harris contractor failed to ensure the redundancies of the system worked properly. A Frontier spokesperson said that a third party contractor in Argyle (Texas) accidentally cut the fiber lines of their company, affecting communication systems at Dallas airports. She said that her team coordinated with the FAA, the airports, and worked over night to stabilize the system. As a result, the airports were back up and running by today. American Airlines explains the events leading to flight disruptions. Two fiber optic cables were cut on Friday, affecting data that supports FAA radars and radio frequencies, as well as computer systems. David Seymour (American Airlines' Chief Operating Officer) wrote in an email sent to its employees that the efforts of L3Harris, Frontier and other airlines to restore service were not moving fast enough. He also said that the airline was working on determining the financial impact. Seymour, along with the airline's chief executive officer, Robert Isom had difficulty "reaching leaders at Frontier and L3Harris". "We are extremely disappointed that neither of the providers seems to be in a hurry to resolve this issue," Seymour wrote in an email. L3Harris didn't immediately respond to an inquiry for comment. In recent years, the FAA has been plagued by a series of technical issues that highlight the fragility of the U.S. Air Traffic Control System. Congress awarded $12.5 billion in July to revamp the system. (Reporting by David Shepardson, Lucia Mutikani and Leslie Adler; editing by Leslie Adler).

• Tesla gets approval to test autonomous robotaxis at Arizona Test Site

  The state transportation department approved Tesla to begin testing autonomous robotaxis with a safety monitor on Friday. The Arizona Department of Transportation stated in an email that Tesla applied for a permit in June to start trials for an autonomous ride-sharing service. It now plans to test roboticaxis using safety drivers in the Phoenix Metro Area. Tesla has not responded to our request for comment. It wasn't immediately clear when or for how long the trials would take place. Tesla's Chief Executive Elon M Musk stated previously that Tesla planned to launch an automated ride-hailing services to approximately half of the U.S. populace by the end this year. Tesla launched a test of its robotaxi in Austin, Texas in June. The service was limited to a few dozen vehicles and a selected group of passengers. There were also many restrictions including the presence of a safety monitor on the front passenger's seat. (Reporting and editing by Tom Hogue, Preetika Parshuraman, and Chris Kirkham)

• The death toll in the tanker truck explosion that occurred in Mexico City has risen to 25

  MEXICO CITY (Sept. 19) - The death count from an explosion that occurred in the capital of Mexico involving a truck transporting liquefied petrol gas (LPG), has now reached 25, according to the city's Health Ministry. The truck carrying about 50,000 liters LPG overturned and crashed into a wall. A rupture released gas which ignited and caused an explosion. The fire then consumed around 30 cars. Since last Wednesday, the number of fatalities has increased. The truck exploded and burst into fire while driving on a busy highway near Iztapalapa in Mexico City. Mexico City Health Ministry: "In relation to the Iztapalapa accident, we can confirm 21 people are still hospitalized. 38 people have been discharged and 25 tragically died." The incident has sparked frustration about safety conditions on Mexico’s highways and led to calls for tighter supervision of hazardous cargo transportation and road maintenance. Residents expressed frustration with the challenges they face on the outskirts of the city, where commutes can be long and difficult. The driver of the truck died this week. One of the youngest victims is a two-year old girl who was transported last week to an American hospital in Galveston Texas. At least 11 minors were also injured by the explosion and treated locally. Initial investigations by the city authorities indicated that excessive speed and lack skill of the driver caused the accident. The investigation is ongoing. Reporting by Diego Ore, Writing by Aida Pelaez-Fernandez, Natalia Siniawski and Editing by Richard Chang

• US files court statements to support Enbridge pipeline in Michigan case

  The Trump administration has taken a side with Canadian pipeline operator Enbridge, in its legal fight against Michigan. Last week the Trump administration filed a court declaration that challenged the state's attempts to shut down Line 5 oil pipeline. Enbridge and Michigan have been in a long-standing dispute over the Line 5 pipeline. This aging pipeline transports 540,000 barrels of crude oil per day from Superior, Wisconsin to Sarnia (Ontario). The Calgary-based firm proposes to build an approximately 4-mile (6 km) tunnel for the pipe, which crosses the Straits of Mackinac on the Great Lakes. Native American tribes, as well as environmental groups are opposed to the project. They fear that it could pose a threat to the Great Lakes. Enbridge stated in a press release that it is confident in the Michigan Public Service Commission’s permit process which approved the project.

• Report: Trump's policies could threaten US clean-energy jobs engine

  According to a report published on Friday, jobs in solar, wind, and other clean energy sectors grew three-times faster than the rest of U.S. workers last year. However, the study warns that some of these jobs could be lost due to Trump's efforts to stop renewables. According to the environmental advocacy group E2, who has published a study on clean energy jobs over the past decade, in 2024 there will be 100,000 new jobs created by the clean energy industry. Idaho, Oklahoma Texas, Florida, and New Jersey were the states that saw the largest growth in jobs related to clean energy over all last year. The study revealed that more than 80% (or all the new jobs) in energy in 2024 will be in clean energy. Bob Keefe, E2's Executive Director, said that the numbers showed this to be one of the most exciting and promising job sectors for the country by the year 2024. Clean energy job growth and our economy are now in serious danger. The study examines the employment of industries such as renewable electricity generation, biofuels and electric vehicles. It also analyzes energy efficiency, battery storage, grid modernization, and grid modernization. The analysis fails to take into account the changes in U.S. policies since Donald Trump assumed office in January. Since then, the Trump administration has taken several measures to dismantle federal funding for wind and solar energy projects, which were supported by his predecessor Joe Biden and promoted fossil fuels instead. According to E2, the number of Americans working in clean energy is three times greater than those who work for oil, gas, and coal. According to the report, the states with the highest number of jobs in wind and sun include California, Texas Florida, New York, and Massachusetts. Nearly 2.4 million people are employed in the energy efficiency sector, including installing efficient heating, lighting, and cooling systems, and manufacturing certified appliances. (Reporting and editing by Sonali Paul; Nichola Groom)

• NY asks National Grid for better natgas forecasts in advance of possible NESE pipeline

  The New York utility regulator asked some U.S.-based units of UK energy company National Grid to report how they would optimize their natural gas supply if or not the proposed Northeast Supply Enhancement pipeline project or NESE is put into service. The New York Public Service Commission, NYPSC, said that if NESE (the proposed gas supply increase from Pennsylvania to New Jersey and New York by Williams Cos Transco), is not put into service, it wants the National Grid companies report on their reliability plans. NYPSC reported that the three National Grid utilities, Brooklyn Union Gas KeySpan Gas East, and Niagara Mohawk Power, serve approximately 2.5 million gas consumers in New York. This makes them the largest natural gas distribution system for the state. Williams canceled the first attempt at building NESE by 2024 largely because of opposition from New York's and New Jersey's environmental regulators. The project was revisited earlier this year, with the support of U.S. president Donald Trump's Administration. NESE, and another gas pipeline proposed by Williams from New York to Pennsylvania have been linked with a deal made between the Trump Administration and New York Governor Kathy Hochul. The Trump administration agreed to lift a federal order that stopped construction on the Norwegian energy company Equinor’s Empire Wind offshore project near New York. Hochul didn't endorse gas pipelines, but she said that New York would collaborate with the U.S. government and private entities to develop projects that met state legal requirements. (Reporting and editing by Scott DiSavino)

• US accelerates power grid projects in AI

  The Trump administration launched a new initiative on Thursday to accelerate the development of power plants, transmission lines and other infrastructure as artificial intelligence increases demand. The Department of Energy (DOE) is asking stakeholders, including utilities and transmission managers, for information on investment opportunities near term, the readiness of projects, growth expectations in power demand and any constraints it could address. On his first day in office, Donald Trump issued an executive order declaring a state of energy emergency. Artificial intelligence, data centres, and electric cars are driving the demand for power to its highest level in 20 years. The DOE has ordered that several coal and gas plants, which had planned to close down, continue to operate. This is the latest U.S. effort to support fossil fuels. Trump claims that the rapid adoption of solar power and wind energy has caused U.S. electricity to be unstable and costly, which is why he wants to stop most subsidies. Texas has seen an improvement in reliability, but the grid that uses the most renewable energy in the U.S. is still the one with the highest rate of failure. The DOE will use the Speed to Power program to determine the best way to utilize funding programs, national emergency authorities and grid expansion to increase power generation. DOE has millions of dollars in funding and financing, including through its Loan Programs Office. The DOE cancelled a $4.9billion loan guarantee in July for a transmission system that was supposed to transmit power from Kansas wind and solar projects to cities in Midwest and East. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission also took action on Thursday to improve grid security. FERC has approved and proposed new rules to reduce risks associated with supply chains, cyber attacks, and electrical grid disruptions due to extreme cold. Extreme cold can sometimes cause blackouts. Green energy opponents claim that coal plants scheduled to retire in Trump's second tenure will still be needed. Tom Pyle of the American Energy Alliance predicted that, on Trump's orders or out of their own volition, 38 coal plants scheduled to close by 2028 will remain open. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, in July 2025, power plants will burn about 20% more coal in the first quarter of 2025 than in 2024.

• Executive says that holiday season imports are already arriving at the busiest US port.

  The top executive of the nation's busiest port said that U.S. retailers had finished importing holiday goods at least one month earlier in an effort to reduce costs associated with President Donald Trump's changing tariff policies. Port of Los Angeles Director Gene Seroka said that "a large amount of holiday cargo is already here and moving through the supply chain." He said that the traditional holiday rush, also known as peak season, which is traditionally driven by retail, happened early. About half of the cargo volume is handled by retailers at the Port Los Angeles. Dockworkers handled 1,019 837 20-foot-equivalent units (TEUs), the highest monthly cargo volume the Port of Los Angeles has ever seen in its 117 year history. The total volume at the Port of Los Angeles in August was 958.355 TEUs. This is down 0.2% compared to a year earlier. Seroka anticipates that import volumes will continue to decline throughout the rest of the year. He said that September will be about 850,000 TEUs. This is 10% less than the previous year. Forecasters say that several trends point to a drab holiday season in 2025. This month, the National Retail Federation (which represents companies such as Walmart and Target) said that it expects container imports will continue to decline throughout the rest of the year, due to the rising U.S. Tariffs. "Shifting Trade Policies Continue to Create Uncertainty for Businesses and Consumers," Mario Cordero said, CEO of Port of Long Beach which borders the Port of Los Angeles. Seroka explained that this is contributing to a slowdown in job growth, and the lingering of inflation. This makes importers and customers a bit more cautious. Retail sales in the United States increased more than anticipated in August. This is the third consecutive month that retail sales have increased, despite a backdrop of price hikes fueled by tariffs. But a PricewaterhouseCoopers survey released this month showed that holiday spending by U.S. consumers is set for its steepest drop since the pandemic as shoppers -- particularly Gen Z -- pull back amid economic uncertainty. (Reporting by Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles; Editing by Jamie Freed)

• Poland calls on the EU to stop Russian oil imports before 2026, citing risks geopolitical

  Poland's Energy Minister Milosz Motyka stated on Wednesday that Poland will help member states of the European Union who are still importing Russian energy by 2026. The Druzhba pipeline transports Russian oil to Hungary, Slovakia and other EU countries that have cut off ties with Russia following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine 2022. After a phone call with U.S. president Donald Trump, EU executive director Ursula von der Leyen announced on Tuesday that the European Commission would propose a faster phase-out of Russian fossil fuel imports. The bloc had planned to stop buying Russian oil and gas on January 1, 2028. The Polish Minister said that this should have happened two years earlier. This is especially true in light of recent events, such as the Russian drone incursion last week on Polish territory. Motyka's letter to the EU energy ministers urged them to reach a consensus on a goal to eliminate all imports of Russian crude by 2026. This decision would demonstrate our commitment to becoming independent of oil supplies that pose political and strategic risk. Due to the opposition of Slovakia and Hungary who receive Russian pipeline supplies, and maintain close ties with Moscow, the EU has imposed sanctions against most Russian oil imports. Slovakia and Hungary have defended the purchases they made, stating that alternatives were more expensive, such as transit fees when oil is transported via Croatia. Denisa Sakova, the Slovak Economy minister, said that she discussed with U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Wednesday her call to stop Russian supplies and explained how Slovakia needs conditions for diversification so as not to cut off its industry or economy. "We diversify gas supplies, and we want to diversify further in the future." We have to rely upon the transmission capacity of other routes", she added, adding that the situation with oil was similar and left Slovakia at the mercy of other countries. Wojciech Wrochna, deputy to Motyka and Poland's chief energy security official, said that U.S. gas liquefied via Poland can help eliminate Russian gas in Europe. Wrochna, a reporter, said: "I had an excellent meeting yesterday with U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright. U.S. Gas flowing south via Poland can help eliminate Russian gas." Orlen, a Polish company, began shipping U.S. Gas to Ukraine in the spring of this year to replenish Kyiv's stores before winter. Slovakia is still reliant upon Russian imports, and has not taken advantage of a gas connection with Poland to secure alternate supplies. (Reporting by Marek Strzelecki. Writing by Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk. Mark Potter, Ed Osmond and Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk edited the book.

• Oil prices drop on US demand fears ahead of Fed rate decision

  The oil prices fell on Wednesday as data revealed an increase in U.S. Diesel stockpiles. This stoked concerns about demand while investors awaited the U.S. Federal Reserve decision on interest rate. Brent crude futures fell 44 cents or 0.64% to $68.03 per barrel at 11:29 am EDT (1529 GMT), while U.S. West Texas intermediate crude futures also dropped 44 cents or 0.68% to $64.08. The Energy Information Administration reported on Wednesday that U.S. crude stocks fell dramatically last week due to a spike in exports and sharp drops in imports. Analysts said that a surge in distillate stocks fueled demand concerns, and held prices down. The markets seem to be responding on diesel which is the underbelly of this entire complex, said Phil Flynn a senior analyst with Price Futures Group. Investors also awaited the outcome of U.S. Federal Reserve’s meeting on September 16-17. Later on Wednesday, the Fed is expected cut interest rates by quarter of a percent. After Ukraine intensified its attacks on Russia's infrastructure, the risks to Russian oil supply were also brought into focus. Three industry sources said that Transneft, the Russian oil pipeline monopoly, warned producers on Tuesday that they may have to reduce production after Ukraine's drone strikes on key export ports and refineries. Kazmunaygaz, the state energy company, announced on Wednesday that Kazakhstan has resumed oil supply through the Baku-Tbilisi Ceyhan pipeline as of September 13. Last month, supplies were suspended due to contamination concerns. Reporting by Nicole Jao, Seher Dareen, and Enes Tugagur in London; Jeslyne Lerh and David Goodman in Singapore.