Community solar’s struggles

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

• New solar and wind installations outpaced global electricity demand growth in the first half of the year, and for the first time generated more electricity than coal over the period. (Ember)

• The International Energy Agency predicts global renewable energy installations will double by 2030, but forecasts market growth in the U.S. to fall thanks to tax credit rollbacks and regulatory challenges. (IEA)

• An analysis of federal data finds states with higher-than-average shares of wind and solar power tended to have lower-than-average electricity prices this June. (Politico)

• A labor union, solar installation companies, nonprofits and other groups sue the Trump administration over its rollback of the $7 billion Solar for All program. (Associated Press)

• Unclear foreign entity of concern rules and other tariffs and import restrictions continue to challenge the solar industry. (Washington Post)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• Tesla is expected to release a long-awaited, lower-priced version of its Model Y today. (Electrek)

• A Kelley Blue Book editor expects more automakers to follow the lead of GM, Ford, and Hyundai and reduce the price of some EVs to make up for lost federal tax credits. (The Hill)

POLITICS

• Nearly half of the Trump administration’s nominees for Energy Department, EPA, and Interior Department posts have ties to the fossil fuel industry or right-wing think tanks. (Inside Climate News)

• New bipartisan legislation in the U.S. Senate looks to reauthorize pipeline safety programs for the first time since 2020. (E&E News)

FINANCE

• Brookfield Asset Management says it has raised $20 billion for its clean energy transition fund via new and existing investors. (Financial Times)

OFFSHORE WIND

• Ørsted raised $9.4 billion through its offer of discounted shares, and says it has resumed construction on Revolution Wind and plans to finish its Sunrise Wind project by late 2027. (Wall Street Journal, Reuters)

LITHIUM

• Lilac Solutions is developing a new technology to extract lithium directly from rocks, which it says could double the rate of U.S. lithium production. (MIT Technology Review)