Debunking rural solar opposition

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

A top prosecutor at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., resigns over Trump’s order to investigate the EPA’s $20 billion green bank program. (Politico)

GRID

• Solar, battery storage, and wind projects can be built far more quickly than gas and nuclear plants, making them a reliable solution as grid operators and utilities face growing power demand, according to a new study from Energy Innovation Policy & Technology. (RTO Insider, subscription)

• A Texas pilot program uses residential solar panels and batteries, smart thermostats, electric vehicle batteries and other community resources to form a ​“virtual power plant” that contributes energy to the state grid. (Texas Tribune)

FOSSIL FUELS

• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers creates a new class of permits for fossil fuel projects under Trump’s emergency declaration to streamline their approval. (New York Times)

• Experts say the U.S. oil and gas industry’s current record-breaking production could undermine Trump’s promise to further increase production to reduce prices. (E&E News)

• The Trump administration continues to tout a proposed liquefied natural gas pipeline and export terminal in Alaska, but observers say the project faces huge financial hurdles. (Associated Press)

HYDROGEN

A coalition of energy companies, trade groups, and advocates sends a letter to congressional leaders asking them to preserve the hydrogen tax credit on the grounds that it will ​“propel the United States to global energy dominance.” (Heatmap)

OFFSHORE WIND

One of the parent companies of Vineyard Wind, the country’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farm, eliminates 50 jobs ​“in light of recent market uncertainties,” a spokesperson says. (CAI)

OVERSIGHT

Federal officials give West Virginia the authority to regulate carbon capture projects, as it joins Louisiana, North Dakota, and Wyoming as the only states with regulatory primacy over the industry. (Reuters)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Electric and fuel-cell truck startup Nikola, once valued more than Ford at $30 billion, files for bankruptcy protection after failing to raise money or find a buyer. (CNBC)