Charger funding in the crosshairs

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.

FEDERAL FUNDING

• The Federal Highway Administration tells state transportation departments they can no longer spend $5 billion allocated for a national electric vehicle charging network until new guidance is issued, disrupting a program that advocates and industry leaders say is legally untouchable. (E&E News, subscription; Washington Post)

• The federal judge who blocked the Trump administration’s spending freeze says he’s ready to enforce his ruling as Democratic attorneys general say federal funding is still being curtailed. (Reuters, E&E News)

POLITICS:

• Congressional Republicans introduce legislation to roll back the U.S. EPA’s fee on methane emissions from oil and gas drilling, even though it encourages companies to plug leaks and ​“stop wasting a valuable product,” a law professor notes. (Inside Climate News)

• New Energy Secretary Chris Wright lists strengthening the nation’s transmission system; deploying next-generation nuclear technology; and advancing fossil fuels, geothermal, and hydropower as priorities. (Utility Dive)

• An analysis finds California lawmakers last year rejected legislation aimed at holding fossil fuel companies accountable for pollution after the oil and gas industry spent record high amounts on lobbying and campaign contributions. (Inside Climate News)

CLEAN ENERGY

• A new BloombergNEF report predicts the global cost of deploying wind, solar, and other clean energy sources will fall this year, despite escalating trade tensions. (Bloomberg, Reuters)

• China’s recent export ban on two minerals, gallium and germanium, poses a challenge for the U.S. clean energy and tech manufacturing sector, as the U.S. only produces small amounts of the materials. (Grist)

STORAGE

• A Norwegian company cites higher interest rates, falling battery prices, and a change in corporate leadership in an announcement that it’s canceling its planned $2.6 battery factory in Georgia. (Newnan Times-Herald; Atlanta Journal-Constitution, subscription)

• California residents file a lawsuit accusing the operators of the Moss Landing battery energy storage system of failing to maintain adequate safety measures after the facility caught fire last month. (Los Angeles Times)

CLIMATE

• A group of 22 states sues New York, arguing that the state’s plan to charge fossil fuel companies $75 billion for damages caused by climate change is unconstitutional and will leave ratepayers in other states footing the bill. (Associated Press)

• The U.S. Supreme Court won’t pause its consideration of a case regarding California’s vehicle emissions rules. (Reuters)

GRID

• Experts say making AI more energy efficient won’t fully solve the demand problems arising with a national data center buildout, and propose solutions for reducing data centers’ power usage. (Washington Post)

• Federal regulators’ failure to rule quickly on ISO New England’s interconnection reform proposal could keep up to 3 GW of resources out of the next capacity auction, resulting in higher electricity costs for the region, an analysis finds. (Utility Dive)