Renewables’ effect: Natural gas prices at Louisiana’s Henry Hub averaged $2.93 per million British thermal units from June through August, about 6% below last year, despite the Lower 48 experiencing its hottest July on record and record electricity demand. The surge in power demand was met largely by renewable energy, with solar generation rising 22% and wind generation 9.8% from a year earlier, while natural gas-fired generation increased just 1.8%. The Center Square has the full story.
Fewer jobs added: U.S. employers added just 29,000 jobs in September, well below expectations, while the unemployment rate edged up to 4.2% and prior-month job gains were revised downward by 60,000. The slowdown reflects a “low-hire, low-fire” labor market, with healthcare, construction and manufacturing adding jobs while government and professional services shed positions. Annual wage growth slowed to 3%. The weaker report could influence the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decisions as officials balance a cooling labor market against inflation. The Associated Press has the full story.
Amazon courts communities: Amazon is seeking to ease growing community opposition to AI data centers, with AWS CEO Matt Garman announcing plans to invest more than $1 billion over the next five years in education, workforce training, water preservation and other local priorities. The company is also addressing concerns over energy use, environmental impacts and job creation, while saying it has stopped using nondisclosure agreements with local governments and will publish annual reports on data center utility usage and efficiency. The outreach comes as Amazon plans to spend about $220 billion on capital expenditures in 2026, largely on data centers. The Wall Street Journal has the full story.
