A blast from batteries past

This roundup of U.S. energy news headlines is part of our Canary Media Daily newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox each morning.

EFFICIENCY

• The Trump administration is planning to shut down the U.S. EPA’s Climate Partnerships Division, which houses the Energy Star appliance efficiency arm and the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program. (The Hill)

EMISSIONS

• The International Energy Agency’s Global Methane Tracker report finds fossil fuels emitted close to record levels of methane in 2024, with oil responsible for most of the world’s emissions and coal mines next in line. (IEA)

NUCLEAR

• In the suburbs of Boston, Commonwealth Fusion Systems builds a prototype nuclear fusion power plant with the goal of opening a full-scale generation facility in Virginia by the early 2030s. (CNN)

• Google commits an undisclosed amount of capital to three early-stage advanced nuclear projects of at least 600 MW a piece from developer Elementl Power. (CNBC)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• Rivian still plans to begin construction of a Georgia factory next year despite its likely exposure to cost increases from Trump’s tariffs, particularly via its use of battery cells from South Korea. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

• House Speaker Mike Johnson says the $7,500 federal EV tax credit will ​“more likely than not” be killed in budget negotiations. (Electrek)

GRID

• Energy analytics firm Enverus identifies Texas’ deregulated market and standalone grid as having one of the shortest interconnection queue times in the U.S., while California’s wait times are among the longest. (Forbes)

• PJM, clean energy groups, and independent producers ask federal regulators to dismiss a complaint from consumer advocates over last year’s capacity auction, where they allege illegally manipulated prices spiked capacity costs. (Utility Dive)

POLITICS

• The Trump administration lays off 114 workers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, including employees at its Colorado headquarters and others working remotely. (Colorado Public Radio)

• California Congress member Lou Correa says he was listening to middle-class constituents when he and 24 other Democrats joined Republicans to kill the state’s vehicle emissions standards. (New York Times)

• A panel of appeals court judges upholds the conviction of Ohio’s former House speaker who was found guilty for accepting millions of dollars in bribes from FirstEnergy to pass power plant bailouts under House Bill 6. (Columbus Dispatch)

FOSSIL FUELS

• The Trump administration announces it will fast-track expansion of an Alabama coal mine to develop ​“critical mineral” infrastructure, although almost all of the coal produced there will be exported for foreign steelmaking markets. (Inside Climate News)

DATA CENTERS

• Availability of minerals poses a challenge for AI data center development, as materials like aluminum and lithium are necessary to produce wiring, batteries, and storage infrastructure, a Barclays report finds. (Axios)

COMMENTARY

• Repealing or weakening ​“game changer” federal clean vehicle manufacturing incentives will make it harder for the U.S. to compete in the global electric vehicle market, says the CEO of EV company Bollinger Motors. (Detroit News)