Today’s headlines: Another offshore wind buyout, polysilicon tariffs, and more

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.

WIND

• Energy company RWE agrees to take $1.22 billion from the federal government in exchange for giving up three offshore wind leases off New York, California, and Louisiana, the fifth such deal the Trump administration has struck in its ongoing efforts to undermine offshore wind development. (Reuters)

SOLAR

• The Trump administration announces tariffs on polysilicon imports, driving up some U.S. solar manufacturers’ stocks. (CNBC)

• Shanghai-based Jinko Solar Co. has sold off a portion of its U.S. manufacturing subsidiary in a bid to secure American tax credits, but its remaining ties to China may complicate that effort. (Bloomberg)

• With more than 100 GW of domestic inverter manufacturing capacity slated to come online by the end of 2027, the solar market should be able to find alternatives as the White House bars imports of new inverter models. (Wood Mackenzie)

ELECTRIFICATION

• Home electrification startup BlocPower is reportedly negotiating an asset sale and may restructure to pay off some of its debt after losing nearly $737,000 last year. (Latitude Media)

GEOTHERMAL

• With federal support, new drilling technology, and AI data center investment in their corner, the U.S. geothermal industry is preparing for a boom. (Latitude Media)

DATA CENTERS

• Texas’ pause on data center interconnections puts about 20% of the country’s total data center pipeline at risk of delay. (Utility Dive)

UTILITIES

• Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s (D) office looks to intervene in the merger of Dominion Energy and NextEra Energy, an unprecedented step for a governor’s office. (Virginia Mercury)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• An analysis finds EVs in the U.S. achieve an emissions break-even point with gas cars at about 18,000 miles, with the benefits clear even in areas that get a lot of their power from gas and coal. (Grist)

NEW FROM CANARY

• Trump’s DOE keeps forcing coal plants to stay open. Here’s the latest. — Ysabelle Kempe

• The Pentagon’s wind farm blockade is over — for now — Dan McCarthy

• Why Trump’s claim that offshore wind is a security risk is​‘ludicrous’ — Sarah Shemkus

• Trump is blocking billions of dollars of grants that would fix the grid — Jeff St. John

• Nuclear startup Oklo splits its first atoms in test reactor — Alexander C. Kaufman

• Ohio steel giant aims to use Biden climate funds for polluting project — Kathiann M. Kowalski