Clean car crackdown

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.

POLITICS

• The House votes to repeal California regulations that aim to shift heavy-duty trucks to electric and curb smog, even after Congress’ nonpartisan watchdog says the rules aren’t subject to the Congressional Review Act. (The Hill)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• Elon Musk and Tesla’s board chair deny a report suggesting the EV maker is seeking a new CEO amid Musk’s increasing political involvement and the company’s sinking finances. (Axios, Wall Street Journal)

• Tesla reportedly plans to hire more than 1,000 new workers and ramp up electric semi-truck production at its Sparks, Nevada, Gigafactory. (Reno Gazette-Journal)

GRID

• The cause of Spain and Portugal’s massive power outages is still undisclosed, but experts say grid operators need to implement new technologies to protect against similar events as more renewables come online. (E&E News)

• Virginia hosts 13% of the world’s data center capacity, prompting discussion about its power needs, cost, and the balance of local versus state regulation. (Inside Climate News)

EFFICIENCY

• The Senate passes a bill that would nullify Biden-era efficiency standards for dishwashers, air conditioners, and other appliances, sending it to President Trump. (The Hill)

SOLAR

• First Solar, which saw a stock bump in the wake of Trump’s tariffs, has since reported lower-than-expected first quarter earnings and lowered its expected revenue and profit for the rest of the year. (Heatmap)

• A study finds converting farmland in California’s Central Valley to solar arrays saves water and can generate 25 times more revenue than growing crops. (Grist)

• Driven by the growth in solar, renewables generated more power than coal in the PJM grid region in April. (Allegheny Front)

FOSSIL FUELS

• The Trump administration temporarily reinstates federal workers who screen coal miners for black lung disease following pushback from West Virginia Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito. (Washington Post)

• A Pennsylvania crypto-currency mining operation powered by on-site natural gas fracking has abandoned the site without capping the gas wells, a pattern the parent company has repeated in other states. (Capital and Main)

• Ohio lawmakers pass a bill that would put an immediate end to subsidies for two unprofitable coal plants as part of a broader suite of energy reforms to encourage new generation. (Associated Press, Ohio Capital Journal)

LITHIUM

• The Trump administration considers loaning American Battery Technology $900 million via the U.S. Export-Import bank to support its proposed lithium mine and refinery in Nevada. (Reuters)

NEW FROM CANARY

• Massachusetts advocates urge the governor to preserve EV goals even as automakers and Congress look to dismantle vehicle emission standards the state has adopted, Sarah Shemkus reports.

• Portable, plug-in balcony solar arrays fit perfectly in Germany, but the U.S. needs to make some regulatory changes before they can take off here, Akielly Hu reports for Grist.