Power plants past their prime

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 U.S. Treasury Department is expected to release rules that make it harder for companies to claim wind and solar tax credits as soon as Monday, ahead of the incentives’ phaseout over the next few years. (Reuters)

• The average cost of wind and solar power purchase agreements has risen 4% since the One Big Beautiful Bill passed, as renewable energy buyers speed up procurement before developers postpone or cancel projects. (Utility Dive)

• Analysts expect new solar additions in China will slow in the second half of the year, posing a challenge for manufacturers who can already produce far more panels than the world needs. (Reuters)

GRID

• Tech companies’ need for power to run data centers and investments in solar, wind, and other generation have turned them into major energy industry players, rivaling even small utilities with their demand and production. (New York Times)

MINING

• The U.S. Energy Department proposes devoting $925 million to speed up mining, processing, and manufacturing of critical minerals. (Reuters, news release)

OVERSIGHT

• President Trump elevates FERC commissioner David Rosner, a Democrat, to chair the board. (E&E News)

• The U.S. EPA indicates it will delay a deadline for coal power plant owners to comply with wastewater discharge rules until 2029. (Utility Dive)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• Initial Kelly Blue Book analysis shows July saw the U.S.’ second-highest EV sales ever as automakers and dealers sweeten deals to move EVs before federal tax incentives inspire. (Axios)

FOSSIL FUELS

• Virginia utility Dominion Energy tells state authorities that it didn’t have an independent monitor review bids for a planned gas plant, after previously telling authorities that it did. (Inside Climate News)

EMISSIONS

• U.S. carbon emissions rose 4.2% from the start of 2025 through the end of June while China’s fell 2.7%, indicating that ​“China and the U.S. are on different trajectories now,” one scientist says. (E&E News)

• The Federal Trade Commission rules a voluntary agreement between California and four truck manufacturers, in which the automakers agreed to California’s strong emissions standards with some concessions, is ​“unenforceable.” (The Hill)