South
Hail cripples massive solar farm, sparking resident concern about vulnerable 'green' tech
An onslaught of hail in southeastern Texas that destroyed large portions of a massive solar farm is highlighting the perils of trading traditional power sources for vulnerable “green” alternatives and sparking concern about the potential for chemical leaks from the broken panels.
Aerial footage captured the significant damage suffered by the Fighting Jays Solar farm in Fort Bend County, Texas. The March 15 storm shattered hundreds of panels and prompted a nearby resident to question if the solar panels were leaking chemicals such as cadmium telluride, which is linked to serious health risks in humans.
“My concern is the hail damage that came through and busted these panels – we now have some highly toxic chemicals that could be potentially leaking into our water tables,” Needville resident Nick Kaminski told Fox affiliate KRIV-TV. “I have a family — two children and a wife. My neighbors have kids and a lot of other residents in the area who are on well water are concerned that the chemicals are now leaking into our water tables.”
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Images captured by Fox affiliate FOX26 Houston KRIV show extensive damage to Fighting Jays Solar in Fort Bend County, Texas. (FOX26 Houston KRIV)
The Fort Bend County Environmental Health Department is investigating the incident and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has also been contacted regarding any potential chemical contamination, Needville Mayor Chad Nesvadba told Fox News Digital. Fort Bend County officials didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment.
Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, represents the community surrounding the solar farm and is engaged with those whose homes, businesses and property were destroyed by the storm, according to spokesperson Emily Matthews, who noted the incident underscores the importance of an “all-of-the-above” approach to energy policy.
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“As far as solar farms being damaged where hail and tornadoes are common, those companies knowingly run the risk of building solar panel farms in these areas,” Matthews told Fox News Digital. “Events like this underscore the importance of having an all-of-the-above energy approach to meet our energy needs and showcase how our country cannot solely rely on or fully transition to renewable energy sources like this.”
Denmark-based Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, the parent company of the Fighting Jays Solar project’s developer, AP Solar Holdings, confirmed the storm had taken out much of the farm, but there was currently no risk to the nearby community of chemical exposure.
Local resident Nick Kaminski is interviewed by Fox affiliate FOX26 Houston KRIV. (FOX26 Houston KRIV)
“On March 15th, a hailstorm caused solar panel damage to Fighting Jays Solar, a 350 MW project located in Fort Bend County, Texas,” CIP told Fox News Digital in a statement. “We are currently assessing the extent of the impact of the storm on the generation of the project, while the plant continues to safely operate at a reduced capacity.”
It added: “The silicon-based panels contain no cadmium telluride and we have identified no risk to the local community or the environment.”
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The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which oversees the state’s power grid, said it was aware of the situation, but had not identified any grid reliability concerns. The Texas Public Utilities Commission added that it has yet to receive any reports about the incident.
Still, Daniel Turner, the executive director of energy watchdog group Power the Future, said the storm’s impact could foreshadow future threats to the U.S. power grid if the nation transitions to a heavy reliance on solar energy.
Rep. Troy Nehls, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, appears during a hearing on June 6, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“There’s this enormous shell game happening by the Biden administration, by the environmental left, presenting wind and solar as perfectly green, clean, and carbon-neutral,” Turner told Fox News Digital. “They use all of these buzzwords. But they’re none of that and they also have enormous drawbacks. And it’s doing the American people a great disservice to obfuscate these very obvious shortcomings.”
He noted that, because solar panels are largely manufactured in China, the destruction of solar farms could be leveraged in geopolitical disputes between the U.S. and China.
“Why would we expect them to race to our aid when our grid is down nationwide, and they are the ones holding the goods that we need to get back up?” Turner said.
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Fighting Jays Solar came online in July 2022 and spans more than 3,000 acres, according to AP Solar Holdings. It is located about 40 miles from downtown Houston.
The destruction of the project, meanwhile, comes as the nation broadly races to replace existing fossil fuel power with green energy alternatives. But those plans have been criticized by experts who warn of those energy sources’ reliance on certain windy and sunny weather conditions.
Austin, TX
1 Hotel Austin Now Accepting Reservations
Alabama
Summer Alabama forecast. See what AccuWeather predicts for heat, storms
Drought conditions lead to elevated wildfire danger this spring
Multiple parts of the country, including Florida and the Four Corners region, are at risk of dangerous wildfires this spring.
Accuweather
Alabama faces a summer of intense heat, high humidity, and occasional strong storms, with El Niño influencing shifts across the Southeast weather pattern.
While conditions will vary across the state, AccuWeather forecasters expect heat to dominate statewide. At the same time, storm and flooding risks will be concentrated in specific parts of Alabama as the season progresses.
Here’s what Alabama residents can expect for summer 2026.
Heat and Humidity to dominate Alabama summer 2026
Heat is expected to be the defining feature of the season, with much of Alabama likely to see near- or above-normal temperatures.
Even when highs are typical for late June or July, humidity will push “feels-like” temperatures significantly higher, especially in central and southern Alabama.
That means:
- More frequent 90-degree days.
- Oppressive humidity across the state.
- Warm overnight lows that offer little relief.
As a result, energy demand is also expected to rise as residents rely heavily on air conditioning during extended hot stretches.
Alabama summer storms 2026
Unlike some summers with almost daily thunderstorms, 2026 is expected to feature more distinct periods of storm activity, rather than storms developing continuously throughout the season. These storm-active windows will vary by region in the state.
Storm timing breaks down like this:
- Upper to central Alabama: Peak thunderstorm activity in June and July.
- Southern Alabama: July into August becomes the more active window.
Derecho Risk focused in northern Alabama
One of the more significant severe weather concerns this summer is the potential for derecho events across northern Alabama.
AccuWeather forecasters are highlighting a moderate risk zone in the upper part of the state, where fast-moving lines of thunderstorms could organize during peak summer instability.
These systems are rare but capable of producing widespread damage when they form.
Will there be drought relief in Alabama?
Flooding risks this summer are not widespread, but they are highly localized in two areas that will need close attention during heavy events.
The main flood-prone zones are the upper western and lower eastern corners of the state. Elsewhere, flooding risk stays within the norm for summer storms.
Bottom line: Don’t expect too much relief this summer.
Jennifer Lindahl is a Breaking and Trending Reporter in Alabama for USA TODAY’s Deep South Connect Team. Connect with her on X @jenn_lindahl and email at jlindahl@usatodayco.com.
Arkansas
Arkansas closes fiscal session, finalizes $6.7B FY2027 budget signed by Gov. Sanders
Arkansas lawmakers have wrapped up their 2026 fiscal session, locking in how billions of dollars will be spent across the state in the year ahead.
The session, which began April 8, focused primarily on setting the state’s budget. It came to a close after Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed the Revenue Stabilization Act, finalizing a $6.7 billion spending plan for Fiscal Year 2027. The budget represents about a 3% increase from last year and will take effect July 1.
From the start of the session to its conclusion, lawmakers spent weeks negotiating how taxpayer dollars would be allocated across agencies, programs, and priorities.
“Because of their work, not only were we able to accomplish some of our top priorities this year, but they’ve set us up for what I think will be a great week next week,” Sanders said.
A significant portion of the budget is dedicated to education. That includes more than $300 million for the state’s Education Freedom Account program, also known as school vouchers, which allows families to use public funds for private education expenses. Lawmakers also set aside additional funding that could expand the program in the future.
Economic development was another major focus. The budget reserves up to $300 million for a potential large-scale project in West Memphis, aimed at bringing jobs and investment to the region.
Lawmakers also approved an increase in the state’s homestead property tax credit, raising it from $600 to $675.
Still, not every proposal made it through. Efforts to limit eligibility for the Education Freedom Account program failed during the session.
“This session sets the financial foundation for the year ahead, but there are more policy debates just around the corner,” Sanders said.
Those debates are expected to begin soon. Lawmakers are planning to return to the Capitol for a special session focused on tax cuts. The governor has proposed reducing the state income tax rate by 0.2 percent, a move that could return more than $180 million to Arkansans.
“We want it to be pretty singularly focused on providing relief to Arkansans, letting them keep more of their hard-earned money,” Sanders said.
If approved, the tax cuts would mark another step in the state’s ongoing effort to lower income taxes, with more decisions expected in the coming days.
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