Domestic solar success

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.

FOSSIL FUELS

• The U.S. Interior Department will break decades-long standards and skip a National Environmental Policy Act review for its next five-year offshore drilling plan. (E&E News)

• President Donald Trump exempts coal used in steelmaking from Clean Air Act regulations for two years. (The Hill)

• Oil-pipeline protests may often have the unintended consequence of pushing companies to instead transport the fuel via train and other polluting modes. (Axios)

NUCLEAR

• The CEO of a company that makes small modular reactors says the plethora of startups pursuing the technology will likely start consolidating. (Semafor)

SOLAR

• Natural-gas generation has steadily fallen in California over the last three years while utility-scale solar has grown, though gas remains the state’s top source of power. (EIA)

UTILITIES

• Georgia Power’s pipeline of large economic development projects fell 6 GW from the second to the third quarter because a number of projects — largely data centers — exited the queue. (Utility Dive)

• The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission faces mounting concern from state lawmakers, utility commissioners, and others over the U.S. Department of Energy’s large-load interconnection proposal. (Utility Dive)

MINERALS

• Chinese shipments of rare earth magnets to the U.S. hit a nine-month high in October even as the country’s overall rare-earth exports sink. (Reuters)

POLITICS

• Former U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and former FERC Commissioner Allison Clements will lead New Jersey Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill’s energy transition team as the Democrat works to curb rising power prices. (news release)

NEW FROM CANARY

• T1 Energy is betting big on all-American solar, even under Trump — Julian Spector

• Aluminum giants hit major milestone with low-carbon production — Maria Gallucci