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.
Today for the Daily Yonder. Illinois lawmakers are considering legislation to bring more regulation to data centers in the state.
Thanks, Christian!
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...
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...
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...
Today for the Daily Yonder. Maine lawmakers are considering a moratorium on data centers as businesses move into the region.
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.
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.
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.
Yesterday for the Maine Monitor, I wrote about a tiny but mighty species of zooplankton that fuels the Gulf of Maine’s ecosystem.
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...
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.
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.
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...
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.
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...
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...
In this week’s Climate Monitor, I wrote about what the end of the federal tax credits for heat pumps mean for Mainers.
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.
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...
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.
For today's Climate Monitor, I wrote about two entrepreneurs who are using Maine seaweed as a substitute for plastic.
Check it out, here: themainemonitor.org/entrepreneur...
Today for the Maine Monitor. I wondered why the foliage here in Maine this year has left something to be desired. Drought has played a role.
themainemonitor.org/fall-colors-...
Today for Daily Yonder. I spent some time in Brattleboro and Ludlow, Vermont reporting this story on rural disaster recovery amidst a changing FEMA landscape.
This week for @spectrum.ieee.org. Once seen as the darling of U.S. sodium-ion battery startups, Natron Energy folded in September.
I dug into what it means for the industry at large as the West seeks to compete with China.
spectrum.ieee.org/natron-sodiu...
Last week for the Maine Monitor. Green crabs are an invasive species along the coast. I spoke with entrepreneurs who see an opportunity to use them for crop fertilizer and seafood dishes.
themainemonitor.org/green-crab-p...
Bit of a scoop today. Rural and urban organizers are coming together in southern Arizona over concerns about water usage and environmental impacts of a proposed 200-acre aluminum recycling plant.