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Sean Reilly

@seanatlarge26.bsky.social
61 followers 83 following 70 posts

Former Clean Air Act reporter at E&E News/Politico; now covering state data center policies for RTO Insider. Text or call me at 202-316-4596; DM for Signal.

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Sean Reilly
RTO Insider @rtoinsider.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
In an effort to combat a possible capacity shortfall in the near future, FERC approved the majority of PJM’s Reliability Backstop Procurement in an order issued Tuesday. #energysky 🔌💡 ow.ly/PsEY50ZTm3L
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Reposted by Sean Reilly
RTO Insider @rtoinsider.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) released the 2026 Virginia Energy Plan on Oct. 1, which includes different ways of reliably and affordably meeting growing power demand while staying on track for a net-zero power sector by 2050. #energysky 🔌💡 ow.ly/hqrw50ZTN8P
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Reposted by Sean Reilly
RTO Insider @rtoinsider.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s jubilation over the passing of The Power Generation and Consumption Act in 2025 seems to be short-lived. #energysky 🔌💡 ow.ly/iXTt50ZTMwv
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Reposted by Sean Reilly
Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press @rcfp.org · 27/09/2026
“This ruling is an important win for the American public.” A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to temporarily restore White House access to CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, concluding that the president's ban on the news outlets likely violated their constitutional rights.
rcfp.org
Reporters Committee statement on judge ordering White House to restore press access to CNN, MS NOW, Politico
“This ruling is an important win for the American public,” said Reporters Committee President Bruce D. Brown.
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Reposted by Sean Reilly
RTO Insider @rtoinsider.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Stakeholders in MISO have been taking umbrage with Independent Market Monitor David Patton, and a third-party review of the Monitor has identified friction over unclear boundaries, potential overreach and bias. #energysky 🔌💡 ow.ly/S3tF50ZQpe7
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
It will be interesting to see how the Georgia Public Service Commission handles the company's approval request. (Georgia Power, incidentally, is not publicly disclosing the actual contract with Google on the grounds that it is a trade secret.): georgiapower.com/news-hub/pre... #nuclearpower #Google
georgiapower.com
Georgia Power agreement with Google to provide approximately $900 million in projected benefits for customers and advance nuclear energy in Georgia
Georgia Power and Google announce agreement projected to deliver ~$900M in customer benefits and add 96 MW of nuclear capacity at Plants Vogtle and Hatch.
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
If so, this proposed rule would also make it easier for #EPA, Congress and the White House to avoid confronting one of the biggest threats to air quality since passage of the 1970 Clean Air Act. #AirPollution
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
The text of this #EPA proposal (sent to the White House regs office yesterday for a routine review ) isn't yet public, but it could make it easier for states to write off the effects of unhealthy wildfire smoke on compliance with ambient air quality standards: #AirPollution
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Reposted by Sean Reilly
RTO Insider @rtoinsider.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit vacated DOE’s order keeping the Campbell coal plant in Michigan from retiring, saying it usurped the state’s authority. #energysky 🔌💡 ow.ly/VzPI50ZMGgV
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Reposted by Sean Reilly
RTO Insider @rtoinsider.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
North Dakota lawmakers will consider a temporary statewide ban on all nondisclosure agreements between data center developers and government regulators during a special legislative session that begins Sept. 2. #energysky 🔌💡 ow.ly/Vt1650ZHx2W
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Reposted by Sean Reilly
RTO Insider @rtoinsider.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
In response to a recently passed law, Alabama Power has proposed requiring data centers of at least 150 MW to cover generation, transmission and other costs while using a rate impact test to determine whether the contracts benefit other customers. #energysky 🔌💡 ow.ly/RSAo50ZFakc
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Reposted by Sean Reilly
RTO Insider @rtoinsider.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Two fossil fuel plants will continue to operate in Maryland into 2031 after FERC approved reliability-must-run extensions for the Brandon Shores and H.A. Wagner generating plants outside of Baltimore. #energysky 🔌💡 ow.ly/UiSn50ZFafM
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
#EPA at work. (No mention, though, of the potential impact of this decision on smog-forming tailpipe pollution): #AirPollution #smog #ozone
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Reposted by Sean Reilly
RTO Insider @rtoinsider.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
A mammoth Georgia Power data center contract with OpenAI is facing heightened scrutiny from the state’s Public Service Commission amid questions over the 3.2-GW project’s long-term repercussions for other ratepayers. #energysky 🔌💡 ow.ly/kkO350ZATfh
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Working on a story related to West Virginia and just want to note that the reporting already done by @westvirginiawatch.com, @mtnstspotlight and other outlets in the state has been invaluable. Support local news, folks! #WestVirgnia #localnews
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Looks like #EPA is poised to finish off an #environmentaljustice cornerstone, per instructions in President Trump's Executive Order 14281. No indication that EPA sought public comment on a proposed rule before proceeding with the final: #disparateimpact #civilrights
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
#EPA says that a key air pollution control requirement does not apply to fossil fuel power plants not connected to the electric grid. Good news for data center developers building "behind the meter" generating facilities: tinyurl.com/36vt8xbz #AirPollution #datacenters
tinyurl.com
EPA Issues Permitting Guidance to Further President Trump’s Agenda Promoting Data Centers and Safeguarding Communities | US EPA
This month, EPA issued guidance clarifying that the Clean Air Act Acid Rain Program does not apply to power generation facilities that are not connected to a public electricity grid, commonly referred...
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
In searching for archived video of a recent #EPA advisory committee meeting, I just learned that the agency's official YouTube channel is now pretty much the #LeeZeldin YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@EPAgov/videos
youtube.com
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Protecting human health and the environment since 1970 🌎🌊🌱
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
EPA's Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee is holding its first meeting since President Trump returned to office in January 2025. Meeting materials and a video link are here: casac.epa.gov/ords/sab/f?p... #AirPollution
casac.epa.gov
EPA Template | US EPA
This page provides access to older pages that the EPA has deemed historically relevant but no longer updated.
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
And here's a link to the #EPA hearing: youtube.com/live/FbRcm9S... #AirPollution #MinorNewSourceReview
youtube.com
U.S. EPA Public Hearing-Proposed Rule: Minor NSR Program Public Participation Requirements for SIPs
YouTube video by SC&A Corporate Account
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Now under way: A virtual public hearing on #EPA's proposal to let state and local regulators eliminate public participation requirements from a Clean Air Act permitting program. Lots of interest, judging from the registered speakers list: epa.gov/system/files... #AirPollution
epa.gov
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
A D.C. Circuit panel unanimously hands #EPA (and, by extension, a high-polluting part of the steel industry) a win: media.cadc.uscourts.gov/opinions/doc... #AirPollution
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
#EPA has posted an agenda and other materials related to the upcoming meeting of its Clean Air Science Advisory Committee, the first since President Trump returned to office in January 2025: casac.epa.gov/ords/sab/f?p... #EPA #AirPollution
casac.epa.gov
EPA Template | US EPA
This page provides access to older pages that the EPA has deemed historically relevant but no longer updated.
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
And, from the same filing, Duke's rationale for folding these charges into its rate base:
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
From a filing by North Carolina regulators in a Duke Energy rate case:
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
A virtual public hearing on this #EPA proposal is now scheduled for July 22: www.epa.gov/nsr/nsr-regu... #AirPollution
epa.gov
NSR Regulatory Actions | US EPA
Regulatory Actions associated with New Source Review (NSR) Permitting
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Here's the proposal's gist. If finalized, it could make it easier for state and local regulators to greenlight proposed new power sources tied to data center development: #AirPollution #opengov #EPA
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Another way to characterize the potential impact of this #EPA proposal: Americans could be frozen out of the opportunity to comment on permitting decisions that could affect their health and the health of their families: epa.gov/newsreleases... #AirPollution #opengov #Newspeak
epa.gov
EPA Proposes to Streamline State and Local Permitting Process for Minor Sources | US EPA
EPA proposed a rule to streamline the New Source Review (NSR) permitting process for minor sources by eliminating the minimum federal regulatory requirements for public participation.
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
After a very long hiatus, EPA's Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee will hold its first meeting since President Trump returned to office: public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2026-13400.pdf #CASAC #EPA #AirPollution
public-inspection.federalregister.gov
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
After a five-month White House review, this potentially significant #EPA proposal is now set for imminent public release: #NEPA #permitting
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Reaction to the decision to shutter E&E News from the union that represents newsroom employees at @eenews.bsky.social and @politico.com.
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
I'm also extremely worried at what this means for coverage of the interlocking spheres of climate, energy and environmental policy. Nobody tracks them with the same depth, breadth and tenacity as E&E.
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Reposted by Sean Reilly
RTO Insider @rtoinsider.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
The ongoing public debate in Montana over a looming data center boom is likely coming to a head in 2027. #energysky 🔌💡 See Full Story: ow.ly/eicB50Z8Ari Writer: Scott Streater
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
I'm devastated and furious to see that @EENewsUpdates, my journalistic home for 12 years, is being shut down, even though it has been consistently profitable. Deeply concerned for my former colleagues there: www.semafor.com/article/06/0...
semafor.com
Exclusive: Politico folds E&E News ahead of broader energy push
In September, Politico plans to launch a series of energy-focused newsletters.
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Reposted by Sean Reilly
RTO Insider @rtoinsider.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Both units at a Northern Indiana Public Service Co. coal plant directed to stay open under an emergency order from the Trump administration’s Department of Energy are inoperable and beset with mechanical issues. #energysky 🔌💡 See Full Story: ow.ly/xZLK50Z7qTg Writer: Amanda Durish Cook
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
And the proposed rule (tied to a key industrial pollution permitting program) is out, with a 45-day window for public feedback when published in the Federal Register and the option for a public hearing: epa.gov/system/files... #NewSourceReview #AirPollution
epa.gov
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
This potentially very significant proposed rule (related to the Clean Air Act's New Source Review program) cleared White House review yesterday, so should soon be made public: #EPA #AirPollution
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
Here, BTW, is a link to Mr. Zeldin's full prepared testimony: d1dth6e84htgma.cloudfront.net/042826_House... #Zeldin #AirPollution #EPA
d1dth6e84htgma.cloudfront.net
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
#EPA is "gutting" a Biden-era Clean Air Act rule that was previously predicted to save up to 1,300 lives annually, Administrator Lee Zeldin says in prepared testimony for a House subcommittee hearing today on the agency's proposed budget: #AirPollution #Zeldin
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202... #Airpollution
sciencedaily.com
Unusual airborne toxin detected in the U.S. for the first time
Scientists searching for air pollution clues stumbled onto something unexpected: toxic MCCPs drifting through the air for the first time in the Western Hemisphere. The likely source—fertilizer made fr...
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
Environmental/public health groups sue to force #EPA to make a key set of compliance decisions tied to a soot standard strengthened in 2024 under then-President Joe Biden: #AirPollution
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
#EPA just posted this final rule setting new hazardous air pollutant standards for some chemical plants. Unlike the draft version, developed during the Biden administration, it will not directly address carcinogenic ethylene oxide emissions: www.epa.gov/system/files... #EPA #Airpollution
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
11) If there’s one thing I’ve learned in covering environmental issues over the years, it’s that people often just want government officials to level with them. This story looks at one unusual EPA initiative that sought to do that: eenews.net/articles/epa.... #EPA #ethyleneoxide #EtO
eenews.net
EPA warns communities facing cancerous air pollution
One EPA employee has been traveling the country to warn Americans about the risks of ethylene oxide pollution where they live.
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
10) I think of this as one of the first decent stories I wrote for @eenews.bsky.social. This Alabama highway project, conceived in the 1960s, is still inching ahead, courtesy of federal taxpayers and the congressional pork barrel: eenews.net/articles/fed.... #NorthernBeltline #Alabama #Birmingham
eenews.net
Federal cash sustains dream of freeway through Ala. woods
PINSON, Ala. -- On planners' maps, the Northern Beltline is a 52-mile, six-lane interstate that completes a loop around Birmingham, Ala. More than a half-century
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
9) In his successful 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump famously promised to “drain the swamp.” Here, the great @kevinbogardus.bsky.social and I explored how that pledge was playing out in practice in EPA’s air office: eenews.net/articles/ema.... #EPA #AirPollution
eenews.net
Emails reveal industry's revolving door at air office
Calendars and emails obtained by E&E News through the Freedom of Information Act reveal a pattern among Trump administration appointees in EPA's air office
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
8) Back during the first Trump administration, then-EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt had a distinctive penchant for trumpeting initiatives that later didn't seem to add up to much. Here’s one example, unearthed via a FOIA request: eenews.net/articles/epa.... #EPA #FOIA #Accountability
eenews.net
EPA has no record of another task force Pruitt touted
EPA can't find written evidence of a task force designed to overhaul the agency's New Source Review permitting program that former Administrator Scott
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
7) This piece is kind of in the weeds, but I like it b/c it shows that the projected benefits of major EPA regulatory initiatives don't necessarily shake out evenly: eenews.net/articles/epa.... #EPA #Refineries #AirPollution
eenews.net
EPA tightened refinery regs. Why did emissions rise?
An E&E News review found that although toxic air releases at many plants have dropped, others have spiked.
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
6) Then-Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) was fun to profile, particularly in the context of his proudly acknowledged relationship to his famous father: eenews.net/articles/shu.... #Shuster #Congress
eenews.net
Shuster follows route first steered by his dad
While credited with restoring a more bipartisan style to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and helping to pass a major water projects
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
5) If you’ve ever relied on EPA’s popular Air Quality Index, this story serves as a reminder that government employees, not the private sector, made it happen: eenews.net/articles/wha.... #EPA #AirPollution
eenews.net
‘What we did mattered’: EPA air office veteran reflects on his career
Chet Wayland was behind development of the Air Quality Index, a popular and color-coded ranking tool and modeling key to pollution reduction programs.
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Sean Reilly @seanatlarge26.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
4) A recent story on how coal-fired power plant pollution shot up last year, notwithstanding EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin’s pledge to to ensure clean air for all Americans: eenews.net/articles/air.... #EPA #AirPollution
eenews.net
Air pollution spikes as Trump doubles down on coal power
EPA data shows pollution bumps that are among the largest in decades, just as the agency rolls back rules cracking down on pollution from coal-fired power
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