solar farms

Federal energy officials announced a record $26.5 billion loan to electric utilities in Georgia and Alabama, saying the loan will save customers money as the companies undertake a huge expansion driven by demand from computer data centers.

A U.S. construction company that built solar farms across the country will pay $2.3 million in penalties to settle claims that it violated federal and state water protections in Alabama, Idaho and Illinois, the U.S. Department of Justice and Environmental Protection Agency said.

Internet giant Google plans to buy renewable power from Alabama and Tennessee solar farms under a new deal with the Tennessee Valley Authority.Google…