More budget law fallout

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.

BUDGET LAW

• Studies show the federal budget law’s quicker phaseout of technology-neutral tax credits will hurt grid modernization efforts, stymie new power capacity additions, and raise electricity prices. (Latitude Media)

• The law slashes millions of dollars from an EPA program that aims to help cities move away from diesel-powered, heavy-duty vehicles like school buses and delivery trucks. (E&E News)

• The head of a Chinese auto industry group says President Trump’s budget bill will give Chinese EV companies a leg up around the world. (Wall Street Journal)

• Tax credits for buying EVs, installing solar panels, and making efficient home improvements are still available for a short time. (Grist)

CLEAN ENERGY

• China is home to 74% of wind and solar projects currently in construction around the world, with the U.S. home to just 5.9%. (Global Energy Monitor)

HYDROELECTRIC

• More than one-third of U.S. hydroelectric plant operators are considering decommissioning their facilities amid low energy prices and permitting hurdles. (Harvest Public Media)

NUCLEAR

• Illinois nuclear plant owner Constellation says an agreement with Meta to supply power for data centers could be a template for steady revenue for the state’s nuclear fleet. (Chicago Tribune)

• Sawtooth Energy Development Corporation proposes building a 462 MW nuclear plant made up of six modular reactors in southern Idaho on the site of the defunct proposed Lava Ridge wind facility. (KIVI)

• Federal regulators authorize Vistra to operate its Perry nuclear plant in Ohio for another 20 years, through 2046. (Reuters)

GRID

• Demand for electricity on the PJM grid is growing faster than new power generation can keep up with, as AI data centers proliferate and state policies lead to the premature retirement of existing plants. (Reuters)

• Advocates worry that two competing Western day-ahead energy markets will offer consumers fewer benefits than a single transmission organization headed by California’s grid operator. (E&E News)

EMISSIONS

• The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a 10-state cap-and-invest program aimed at reducing the climate impact of power plants, announces plans to lower the cap on total carbon emissions by at least 60% by 2037. (E&E News)

CLIMATE

• “This is not a one-off anymore”: Climate scientists say the heavy downpours that led to fatal Texas floods were intensified by a warming atmosphere and could be a sign of more extreme weather to come. (Inside Climate News, ProPublica)

• The U.S. Energy Department hires three climate-skeptic scientists. (CNN)