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Growing a geothermal network

Canary Media

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2 November 2026 • Supported by

Welcome to a new week! We start it in Boise, Idaho, which is already home to the largest geothermal heating system in the country, and just got some funding to expand that network. Alison F. Takemura reports on the city’s plans to bring clean heat to a new affordable housing development.

Next up, Maria Gallucci has the details on Meta’s partnership with clean-cement firm Fortera, which could spur more investment to get the startup’s first commercial plant built. And I’ve got a look at five cities and states where voters will have consequential clean-energy questions on the ballot this week.

Kathryn Krawczyk

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UPCOMING EVENT

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🗓️ November 16-19, 2026

📍 Las Vegas Convention Center • Las Vegas, NV

TODAY'S TOP NEWS

UTILITIES

  • Xcel Energy unveils a five-year, $70 billion capital spending plan that involves building 9.2 GW of renewable power generation, 2.3 GW of energy storage, and 3.3 GW of natural gas generation. (Utility Dive)

PERMITTING BILL

  • A Rhodium Group analysis finds the Senate permitting bill will likely cut power bills and slightly reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, and that it will not increase emissions even under a worst-case scenario for clean energy. (Heatmap)

STORAGE

  • About 16% of utility-scale solar capacity built so far this year in the U.S. included co-located battery storage, up from just 2% in 2017. (Energy Information Administration)
  • A $5.9 million, 1-MW University of Minnesota pilot project will test the commercial viability of long-duration zinc grid storage batteries. (Star Tribune)

DATA CENTERS

  • OpenAI pledges to reduce its power use at its U.S. data centers when emergencies put the grid under high stress. (Axios)
  • Candidates in races across the U.S. are betting that opposition to data centers will drive voters to the polls tomorrow. (Politico)
  • Investors are closely watching key races across the country where data center projects are planned but have not yet started construction, and where candidates have taken sides on those projects. (Axios)
  • Former DOE secretary and ex-Texas governor Rick Perry loses reelection to the board of Fermi, the data center company he co-founded. (Texas Tribune)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

  • The hybrid-electric ferry New York City launched last year is still running entirely on diesel as an electric charging station for the boat hasn’t yet been built. (New York Times)

GRID

  • The DOE opens applications for a $237 million program that will boost projects that aim to refurbish and reuse existing grid equipment and source more electric infrastructure materials in the U.S. (news release)

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🗓️ November 5th, 2026

📍 Druggal Greenhouse • Brooklyn, NY

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