Technology

"Northern Indiana Public Service Co. says the spinoff is needed to meet surging power demand. Others say it’s an excuse to bypass regulations that protect consumers."

"As dawn broke over San Juan Island, a team of scientists stood on the deck of a barge and unspooled over a mile of fiber-optic cable into the frigid waters of the Salish Sea. Working by headlamp, they fed the line from the rocky shore down to the seafloor — home to the region’s orcas."

"Millions of tons of discarded electronics from the United States are being shipped overseas, much of it to developing countries in Southeast Asia unprepared to safely handle hazardous waste, according to a new report released Wednesday by an environmental watchdog."

"As tech companies build data centers worldwide to advance artificial intelligence, vulnerable communities have been hit by blackouts and water shortages."

"The state enhanced battery safety rules in response to the Moss Landing fire. The industry is on board, hoping better standards will reassure the public."

"Colorado oil and gas companies used toxic chemicals prohibited under state law in operations involving dozens of wells on either side of the Rocky Mountains over at least the last 18 months, a Capital & Main investigation found."

"California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) vetoed a bill that would have banned the use of “forever chemicals” in cookware and other products in California."

"A Texas county is suing EPA over the agency’s cancellation of nearly $250 million in solar energy grants." "The lawsuit says the Trump administration unlawfully revoked funding for low-income communities to access clean, affordable energy."

"Google recently courted the township of Franklin, Ind., so that it could construct a giant campus to house the computer hardware that powers its internet business. But the company needed to rezone more than 450 acres in the Indianapolis suburb, and residents weren't having it."