Circle of Blue
Hoover Dam Approaches a Hydropower Cliff
Hoover Dam will see big reductions in hydropower capacity when Lake Mead drops below elevation 1,035 feet, which is 15 feet away. There will be repercussions for power customers and the electric grid…
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11mBroke and On Their Own: Small Water Systems Lose Ground as Federal Support Wavers
The country’s most severe drinking water problems, from high levels of contaminants and foul-smelling water to pipe breaks, low water pressure, and expensive rates, are generally found in the thousands of small systems that serve dozens of people up to a few thousand. These systems are public health crises waiting to emerge, said Denise Schmidt, […]
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6mIllinois Fails to Pass Landmark Act Requiring ‘Responsible’ Data Center Energy and Water Use
The Illinois General Assembly did not pass the POWER Act before the state’s legislative session ended earlier this week. The bill would have required data centers to source or supply renewable energy and submit quarterly water use reports. This week, the United Nations published a report warning that global generative AI training was straining grids and impacting water sources.
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7mSupreme Court’s Limitation on Wetlands Protection Will Make Flooding Worse
By Lisa Sorg June 2, 2026 This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, non-partisan news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for their newsletter here. The destruction of wetlands in the United States has increased the amount of flood insurance claims by $10 billion over the past 40 […]
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11mWhy Wildfire Experts Are So Worried About This Year’s Fire Season
By Peter Aldhous May 31, 2026 This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, non-partisan news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for their newsletter here. As bad as things got in Los Angeles in January 2025, when 31 people died and more than 16,000 buildings were destroyed by […]
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10mPolitical Surprise in the Corn Belt
Expect the unexpected. That’s the only certainty of planting season across the Corn Belt. Heat. Frost. Insects. Too much rain, or none at all. Now add the distress the Trump administration has cursed farmers with: Broken markets. Tariffs. Rising fuel costs. Never, though, has the unexpected included this spring’s surprise: serious consideration of the harm […]