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SLOW THE WATER DOWN
La. waits to see how Trump, Congress regulate AI Political pressure mounts over industry concerns BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer
STAFF PHOTOS By JOHN BALLANCE
The Amite River flows next to property in St. Helena Parish recently purchased by the Amite River Basin Commission.
Amite panel looks at gravel sites to stop flooding
Paul Sawyer, executive director of the Amite River Basin Commission and a state representative for Baton Rouge, speaks about plans to turn an old sand-andgravel mine along the Amite River into a site to hold floodwater temporarily on July 28.
BY DAVID J. MITCHELL Staff writer
Down a gravel road — through pine trees and past rusting hulks of equipment — fish occasionally jump in a tranquil pond amid the creaking of insects. Just south of the small community of Coleman Town, this pond in St. Helena Parish along the Amite River was once an old sand-and-gravel pit. Now it might soon be the first piece in a natural workaround to a controversial 26,000-acre reservoir known as the Darlington Dry Dam, first proposed decades ago after catastrophic floods. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reexamined the dam idea more recently in the aftermath of Baton Rouge’s historic Au-
gust 2016 flood, which swamped more than 91,600 homes across the state. But amid controversy over land buyouts and dam safety, the agency later killed the proposal. Now officials are set to try another ap-
proach similar to Darlington’s central concept — that by holding up floodwater temporarily, more populated places downstream have time to drain.
ä See GRAVEL, page 4A
During its recent legislative session, Louisiana parked many bipartisan bills regulating artificial intelligence after President Donald Trump’s administration urged states against passing them, arguing that it would be better to have a national regulatory framework. So far, Congress and the president — who also threatened states’ broadband funding to stop them from passing certain AI regulations — have taken a mostly hands-off approach. But as AI causes rising public concern across the political spectrum — and with midterm elections on the horizon — pressure is mounting on Congress to act. Though many politicians on both sides of the aisle say that at least some AI regulations are necessary, the exact nature of the laws Congress may pass remains murky. Top Republican members of Louisiana’s congressional delegation have offered few details on measures they would support, as have major candidates for Louisiana’s two wide-open congressional seats. And many politicians have argued that too many regulations would stifle innovation and hobble the United States in its race against China. “As we see abuses (of AI) we will make sure we address them, but you also don’t want to limit innovation,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, a Louisiana Republican, told the press on Aug. 7 after qualifying to run for reelection in November. “One thing government really likes to do a good job of is regulating to the
ä See CONGRESS, page 6A
Louisiana’s push for wind power off the Gulf Coast stalls
reality facing the industry. gy firms to buy out offshore wind was determined there is no path German firm sees ‘no path forward’ after settlement a stark Offshore wind in the Gulf — and leases, including RWE, which in forward to permit these projects
BY MIKE SMITH
ter — at least for now. The recent announcement that Staff writer German firm RWE had reached a The prospect of wind power off $1.22 billion settlement with PresLouisiana’s Gulf Coast, once touted ident Donald Trump’s administraas a boon for local companies and tion to relinquish its offshore wind a way to reduce climate-warming leases, including off Louisiana’s emissions, appears dead in the wa- southwestern coast, has laid bare
WEATHER HIGH 99 LOW 76 PAGE 8B
nationwide — is up against enormous odds under Trump, industry analysts say. The president has loudly proclaimed his opposition to offshore wind and issued an executive order on his first day in office halting new leases. More recently, the Interior Department has negotiated with ener-
2023 won a bid to develop an area 36 miles off the coast of Cameron Parish. The settlement announced Aug. 6 will see RWE relinquish that lease — the first ever in the Gulf’s federal waters — and others off New York and California, then invest in other energy projects. “After careful consideration, it
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Coonnggrraattuullaattiioonnss C
EDGAR R H. SILV VEY
Liffetime achievement hievement award BATONROUGECLINIC . COM
Co ongratulations to CEO, Edgar Silvey, on being honored with the Lifetime Achievement o ongratu Aw ward for the Excellence in Health Care Awards, presented by the Baton Rouge Business Report. Mr. Silvey's decades of service, steady leadership, and dedication to strengthening The Baton Rouge Clinic embody the very spirit of this award.
in the U.S. for the foreseeable future,” RWE said in a statement. The Gulf project was a closely watched indicator of the future of offshore wind power in the region. Louisiana companies, already contracted for wind projects in other
ä See WIND, page 7A
102ND yEAR, NO. 47