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A nearly complete wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island and Connecticut faces an uncertain future as the states’ Democratic governors, members of Congress, and union workers are calling Monday for the Trump administration to let construction resume. The administration halted construction on the Revolution Wind project last week, saying the federal government needs to review the project and address national security concerns. It did not specify what those concerns are. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said Monday it’s not commenting further at this time. The Democratic politicians are getting involved because stopping work on Revolution Wind threatens local jobs and their states’ climate goals, and could drive up electricity prices throughout the region. Officials say the project is 80% complete, with all the underwater foundations and 45 out of 65 turbines already installed. Large, ocean-based wind farms are the linchpin of government plans to shift to renewable energy, particularly in East Coast states with large populations and limited land for wind turbines or solar arrays. President Donald Trump has made sweeping strides to prioritize fossil fuels and hinder renewable energy projects. Those include reviewing wind and solar energy permits, canceling plans to use large areas of federal waters for new offshore wind development and stopping work on another offshore wind project under construction for New York, although construction was later allowed to resume. Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee is headed to North Kingstown, where the logistics and operations hub for the project is located. The governor has said the wind farm is critical to the regions economy and energy future. Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont spoke at State Pier in New London, where components for the Revolution Wind project are kept before being taken out to sea. U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said during Monday’s press conference that it was nuts, crazy, insane to halt a fully approved project that would save ratepayers hundreds of millions of dollars. He expects the courts to agree that the Trump administration acted unlawfully when it stopped the project based on secret information. Revolution Wind is expected to be Rhode Island and Connecticuts first large offshore wind farm, capable of powering more than 350,000 homes. Power would be provided at a rate of 9.8 cents per kilowatt hour, locked in for 20 years. That is cheaper than the average cost of electricity in New England. About 1,000 union members have been working on Revolution Wind, and those jobs are now at risk. This isnt work that anybody can do, Keith Brothers, business manager of the Connecticut Laborers District Council, said about the specialized skills the workers on this project have. Weve taken people from the military, weve placed them on jobs on this specific site, thats important. A statement from North Americas Building Trades Unions was more direct: President Donald Trump just fired 1,000 of our members. The developer, Danish energy company Orsted, is evaluating the financial impact of stopping construction and considering legal proceedings. The project site is more than 15 miles (24 kilometers) south of the Rhode Island coast, 32 miles (51 kilometers) southeast of the Connecticut coast and 12 miles (19 kilometers) southwest of Marthas Vineyard. Rhode Island is already home to one offshore wind farm in state waters, the five-turbine Block Island Wind Farm. The Trump administration previously stopped work on Empire Wind, the New York offshore wind project. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said it appeared former President Joe Bidens administration had rushed through the approvals, although the developer Equinor spent seven years obtaining permits. Construction was allowed to resume in May after two of the state’s Democratic leaders, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer and Governor Kathy Hochul, intervened. Jennifer McDermott, Associated Press Associated Press writer Isabella OMalley contributed to this report. The Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
Category:
E-Commerce
For months, a group of Hood County, Texas, residents has been pushing to create a new town of their own. The effort began in March, when citizens living in a two-square-mile unincorporated stretch of the county, about 50 miles southwest of Fort Worth, started gathering signatures to form what they hope will become Mitchell Bend, Texas. By April, organizers believed they had enough support and submitted their petition to county officials. After it was verified, Hood County Judge Ron Massingill agreed to place the incorporation question on the November ballot. But what seemed like a straightforward process soon ran into complicationsdisputes that have only deepened in the months since. At the heart of the fight is a Bitcoin mining operation that sits inside the same unincorporated area. The facility, owned by Florida-based MARA Holdings, has become a flashpoint for residents who say its nonstop noise has made daily life unbearable. What began as a push for self-governance has quickly turned into a broader battle over corporate power, local control, and the future of their community. Attorneys for MARA challenged the petition, arguing that it contained at most 42 valid signaturesshort of the minimum required. Earlier this month, Massingill vacated the petition on those grounds. A second petition was then circulated, this time securing 59 qualified signatures. Massingill approved it on August 13. Still, outrage over the first petitions invalidation remains strong. One resident, Cheryl Shadden, has accused Massingill of official oppression and election interference, alleging he unlawfully invalidated the first petition without notifying residents of his decision. Although the second petition guarantees the issue will appear on the ballot, Shadden is pressing forward with her lawsuit. “You look at us in this rural community. People think we are a bunch of country bumpkins,” Shadden told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “You cannot stomp people into the ground like this. You dont answer to a conglomerate.” MARA Holdings did not respond to Fast Companys request for comment on the incorporation effort. The residents concerns, however, echo familiar complaints across Texas, which has become a hub for cryptocurrency mining. Neighbors of such facilities often report sleep disturbances, tinnitus, or even permanent hearing loss. Others say property values have fallen. Climate advocacy group Earthjustice has also sued, claiming MARAalso known as Marathon Digital Holdings”creates a private nuisance by causing and then failing to mitigate excessive noise pollution caused by their 24/7 proof-of-work cryptocurrency mining operations.” If residents succeed in forming Mitchell Bend, the new town could enact ordinances to regulate the mining facility. That could quiet the noise but also cut into the companys production and profits. The Hood County facility isnt MARAs only Texas operation. In Glasscock County, more than four hours west, the companyone of the worlds largest Bitcoin minersrecently purchased a 200-megawatt data center near a wind farm. MARA says the site will reduce operating expenses by 20%. Despite Bitcoins gains this year, spurred in part by legislative actions in Washington such as the GENIUS Act, miners like MARA have not enjoyed stock market success. While Bitcoin prices are up nearly 20% year to date, MARA shares have dropped 11% in 2025, now hovering just over $15. Competitors have fared no better: Bitdeer Technologies has fallen 42.5% to $13.15, and Core Scientific is down 5% to $13.72. Riot Platforms, however, has bucked the trend. Its shares are up 24% this year, currently trading around $13.
Category:
E-Commerce
Netflix will open the doors to its two gigantic in-person venues ahead of the busy holiday shopping season, letting fans step inside their favorite shows and movies at these experiential spaces. The Netflix House at the King of Prussia Mall near Philadelphia will open on November 12, followed by the Netflix House at the Galleria Dallas on December 11. These experiential spaces, which both occupy former department stores, were first announced in 2023 by the Los Gatos, California-based streaming service. The venues will offer a permanent year-round home for fans to engage with Netflix content, including a mix of complimentary and paid experiences. They are somewhat of a movie theater on steroids, offering theaters to catch screenings ofyou guessed itNetflix movies and shows, as well as some games and other experiences inspired by the streaming giants library of content. Both sites will also feature casual, full-service restaurants serving food and cocktails. Fans can sign up for the wait list to visit each location, including a choice of ticketed experiences. The Philadelphia location will offer mini golf and virtual reality games, while the Dallas location will have a game room. [Image: Netflix] STEP INTO SHOWS Netflix will be hyping some of its most-popular shows at these locations, including Wednesday, Squid Game, KPop Demon Hunters, and Love Is Blind. Whats more, the long-awaited final season of Stranger Things will premiere on November 26, eight days after the Philadelphia location opens. Theres an internet joke about whats happened since the last season of the show was released in 2022and the Netflix Houses offer a pertinent example, as they were announced and will open sooner than fans get the final season of the show. Netflix previously announced a third location, planned for the Las Vegas Strip, which is slated to open in 2027. The streaming giant is obviously betting its subscribers will have an appetite to play, shop, and taste their favorite content in-personand promises to update the experiences within regularly so theres a reason to return. This is fandom coming to life, where you can actually step inside the worlds youve been watching and loving for years, Marian Lee, Netflixs chief marketing officer said in a statement. Netflix is the most popular streaming service among American consumers, and 72% of respondents in a Pew Research Center survey released in July said they ever watch Netflix programming. By opening in-person experiential locations, Netflix will up the ante in the streaming wars, particularly as Hulu will soon be integrated into Disney+. Netflix reported second-quarter results in July, though executives did not mention the houses in its presentations to investors. The company reported another quarter of steady growth.
Category:
E-Commerce
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