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Key developments
Interior pays Invenergy to cancel wind leases
The U.S. Department of the Interior agreed to pay Invenergy $765 million to cancel four offshore wind leases, matching what the developer paid the federal government. Heatmap’s Emily Pontecorvo reports the settlement will be funded through the Judgment Fund and follows earlier offshore-wind cancellation deals of $928 million with TotalEnergies and $885 million with joint ventures. Invenergy linked the cancellations to replacement generation commitments, including natural gas-fired power plants and geothermal projects.
Why it matters
The deal could materially slow U.S. offshore wind buildout while setting a contested precedent for federal lease refunds and fossil-backed replacement capacity.
Sources & driving stories
HEATMAP · Emily Pontecorvo
Heatmap coverageData-center load drives new grid fights
FERC approved PJM Interconnection’s temporary Expedited Interconnection Track on June 9, creating a separate fast-track queue for up to 10 large projects per year as PJM cites a roughly 15,000 MW capacity deficiency and new load from data centers. The process targets projects above 250 MW unforced capacity, requires state sponsorship, 100% site control, commercial operation within three years, and could produce interconnection agreements in about 10 months. Separately, Duke Energy is seeking higher 2027–2028 rates in North Carolina tied partly to data-center-driven grid upgrades, while advocates are pushing a large-load tariff requiring customers of 25 MW or more to pay for at least 85% of projected usage over 20 years.
Why it matters
Data-center electricity demand is increasingly shaping grid reliability rules, rate design, and who pays for new capacity and infrastructure.
Sources & driving stories
FACTOR THIS · Sean Wolfe
Factor This coverageCANARY MEDIA
Canary Media coverageAnthropic joins Frontier carbon-removal fund
Anthropic joined Frontier Climate’s $915 million advance market commitment growth fund for carbon removal, according to Heatmap’s Emily Pontecorvo. Frontier said the fund will support large carbon-removal projects and includes participation from Google, Stripe, Shopify, and others. The reporting notes Anthropic has not announced clean power purchase agreements or released a sustainability report, while Cleanview analysis ranked its data centers among the most carbon-intensive competitors.
Why it matters
The move puts a major AI company into the carbon-removal market while intensifying scrutiny over whether removal purchases are paired with direct emissions reductions.
Sources & driving stories
HEATMAP · Emily Pontecorvo
Heatmap coverageWorth noting
WORTH NOTING
Heat pump shipments keep rising
Utility Dive’s Joe Burns reports AHRI data showing U.S. air-source heat pump shipments rose 1.8% year over year in April to 380,888 units and were up 1.2% year-to-date to more than 1.3 million units, even as combined central AC and heat pump shipments were down 3.5% for the first four months.
WORTH NOTING
Washington e-SAF plant opens
ESG Dive reports Twelve began commercial operations June 10 at its Moses Lake, Washington power-to-liquid sustainable aviation fuel facility, backed by Microsoft and Alaska Air Group and designed to convert captured CO2, water, and renewable electricity into aircraft-compatible fuel.
WORTH NOTING
Petrobras Amazon drilling scrutiny grows
DeSmog reports community opposition, expanded Petrobras advertising and influencer activity, and a January 4 Morpho well incident in Block 59 that leaked 18,000 litres of drilling fluid, prompting an IBAMA fine and one-month drilling pause.
Still unclear
OPEN QUESTION
Will offshore wind refund settlements survive scrutiny?
Legal challenges to earlier settlements argue federal offshore leasing law may restrict refunds without a genuine dispute, making the Invenergy deal a test case for future lease cancellations.
OPEN QUESTION
Can AI firms cut emissions before buying removals?
Anthropic’s Frontier participation coincides with limited public clean-power strategy details and broader grid stress from data centers, raising questions about reduction-first climate claims.