Energy spending still at risk after Trump reversal

‍FINANCE: The Trump administration’s reversal of its federal funding freeze doesn’t extend to climate spending allocated under the Inflation Reduction Act and sets the administration up for a fight over Congress’ constitutional spending authority. (Canary Media)

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‍ALSO:

• Conflicting federal budget guidance in recent days has caused widespread confusion among clean energy developers about whether federal grants and loans will ultimately be in jeopardy. (Utility Dive)
• An economist says Trump’s proposed tariffs on Canada and Mexico will raise prices for steel and aluminum, which are key components for energy projects like pipelines and electric transformers. (E&E News)

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POLITICS:

• The U.S. Senate confirms Doug Burgum as interior secretary after a hearing in which the former North Dakota governor made a case for speeding energy project permitting and using carbon capture to offset coal emissions. (Axios, The Hill)
• “Is interconnect efficiency…woke?” Researchers find the Trump administration’s gutting climate-related materials on government websites has extended to critical energy topics. (Inside Climate News)

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OIL & GAS:

• Trump has repeatedly promised to lower energy prices by jacking up oil production even though the industry has been sitting for years on hundreds of idle and untapped leases in the Gulf of Mexico. (Verite News)
• Oil and gas companies say Trump’s promised tariffs on Canada and Mexico could raise prices, as nearly 70% of the U.S.’s oil imports come from those two countries. (New York Times)

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STORAGE: Tesla installed 31.4 GWh of battery storage last year, double its total in 2023, and the company told analysts that it expects installations to grow another 50% this year. (Utility Dive)

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‍HYDROGEN: Two southern California cities launch the nation’s first public hydrogen utility, saying they hope to make the fuel more accessible, affordable and transparent. (Utility Dive)‍

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NUCLEAR:

• The owner of a shuttered southwestern Michigan nuclear plant that secured a $1.5 billion loan from the Biden administration to restart the facility is not concerned about the Trump administration attempting to claw back the financing. (Grist/​Interlochen Public Radio)
• California lawmakers consider ways to encourage nuclear reactor development in an effort to address forecasted AI data center-driven power demand. (CalMatters)

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OFFSHORE WIND: Shell withdraws from its partnership in an offshore wind farm off New Jersey, claiming a loss of $1 billion, but the developers say they will still proceed with the project. (New Jersey Monitor)

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‍UTILITIES: North Carolina clean energy advocates are angry after Duke Energy joins other utilities calling on the U.S. EPA to weaken coal ash and gas regulations that would affect 31 unlined coal ash ponds and plans for four new gas plants in the state. (Inside Climate News)

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‍CARBON CAPTURE: A carbon capture company signs a deal with Microsoft to provide the tech company with more than seven million tons of carbon removal credits from projects in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. (Axios)‍

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TRANSPORTATION:

• Panasonic officials are optimistic that the company’s new $4 billion electric vehicle battery plant outside Kansas City will be able to ramp up to full production even as the Trump administration targets EV incentives. (Flatland)
• Trump considers revoking a key federal approval for New York’s congestion pricing program. (New York Times)

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