Coal plant extension blitz

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.

CLEAN ENERGY

• The International Energy Agency says the world is on track to build more renewable energy projects in the next five years than it has over the last 40 — but rising demand highlights means the world will keep relying on fossil fuels, particularly gas, for years to come. (The Guardian, Associated Press)

FOSSIL FUELS

• The Trump administration considers opening California coastal waters to offshore oil and gas drilling for the first time in four decades, drawing pushback from advocates and Gov. Gavin Newsom. (Washington Post)

• Sable Offshore looks to the Trump administration to help it overcome scandals and mounting state and local regulatory obstacles hampering its effort to restart oil production off California’s coast. (Inside Climate News)

• Chevron details plans to build 2.5 GW of gas generation in West Texas to power co-located data centers. (Wall Street Journal)

SOLAR

• Jamaica’s solar growth — from 1.4 MW in 2015 to nearly 65 MW in 2023 — has helped recovery efforts following Hurricane Melissa with solar-powered homes becoming neighborhood power hubs amid widescale grid outages. (New York Times)

• Boviet Solar begins interior construction of a photovoltaic cell manufacturing facility in North Carolina after launching operations at a separate panel assembly plant in the state earlier this year. (WFAE)

• An investigation finds at least three Republican U.S. lawmakers personally took advantage of federal clean energy tax credits for residential solar installations before voting to sunset the incentives. (E&E News)

OFFSHORE WIND

• The Leading Light offshore wind project informs New Jersey utility regulators that the company ​“does not see a pathway forward” and intends to pull the plug on the development, which had not yet received all of its federal permits. (Heatmap)

STORAGE

• The Tennessee Valley Authority announces it plans to add up to 1.5 GW of battery storage by the end of 2029. (WPLN)

• Minnesota is seeing a growing number of battery storage installations to complement renewable energy projects as the state aims for 100% carbon-free power by 2040. (MPR News)

CLIMATE

• In a speech at the United Nations’ COP30 climate summit in Brazil, California Gov. Gavin Newsom criticizes the Trump administration’s absence from the event and fossil fuel-friendly energy policies. (New York Times)

• The last delegation of federal lawmakers planning to make a COP30 trip cancel as the House prepares to vote on shutdown-ending legislation. (E&E News)

• Few American corporate executives are attending COP30, highlighting attempts to distance themselves from previous climate commitments. (New York Times)