The clock is ticking

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.

GRID

• A new report from President Trump’s Department of Energy finds that closing coal and gas power plants would cause blackouts, but experts say the finding is based on questionable assumptions. (Latitude Media)

• Texas has dramatically increased its grid reliability as it’s integrated more solar, batteries, and wind onto its grid, undermining Trump’s repeated claims that renewables make the grid unstable. (Reuters)

• Expectations of a massive rise in U.S. electricity demand due to AI data center growth are likely overstated, as semiconductor manufacturing constraints will stymie data center construction, a report finds. (Utility Dive)

SOLAR

• Rooftop solar installations are set to plummet following the GOP megabill’s repeal of a longstanding federal incentive, with analysts estimating between 40% and 85% less demand over the next decade. (Washington Post)

• Sunnova says it will sell a portion of its residential solar installation business to Seattle-based Omnidian for $7 million as it navigates a recent bankruptcy. (Reuters)

CLIMATE

• Six months in, New York City’s congestion pricing plan is a clear success, with traffic congestion, car accidents, and carbon emissions all down since its implementation, but the program still faces threats from the Trump administration. (The Guardian)

• California lawmakers are considering cuts to the state’s 1970 environmental law in an attempt to offset the GOP megabill’s impact on clean energy by speeding up permitting time for such projects. (Politico)

FOSSIL FUELS

• OPEC forecasts oil demand will be higher in 2050 than it is today despite cutting its near term demand outlook and predictions from others like the International Energy Agency and BP that oil will peak this decade. (Reuters)

• “In a normal era, this would be a Watergate-level scandal.” A reported Trump administration deal tying a New York offshore wind permit to gas pipeline approvals makes the plan vulnerable to legal challenges, critics say. (E&E News)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• Ford says last-minute changes to Republicans’ big budget bill saved tax credits that it’s counting on as it builds a $3 billion Michigan battery factory. (New York Times)

• California’s air quality regulator says it’s working on a plan to replace state EV policies eliminated by the Trump administration, which could include incentives for electric vehicles and restrictions on warehouse emissions. (E&E News)

• Also, a micromobility startup spun out of Rivian in March, raises $200 million to build e-bikes in its second major funding round this year, placing its valuation at $1 billion. (TechCrunch)

FUNDING

• Last quarter was the slowest in terms of venture capital investment in climate tech since the Covid-19 pandemic, and analysts warn this slower pace is likely the new normal. (Latitude Media)