Today’s headlines: DOE funding remains in limbo, a solar installation dip, 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.

FEDERAL FUNDING

• The DOE has announced the termination of 356 awards during Trump’s second term, but has only actually de-obligated funds for 30 of them. (Latitude Media)

SOLAR

• The U.S. installed 26.5 GW of solar power last year, down 22% from the year before, though solar was still the most installed generation source of 2025. (Utility Dive)

• As many as 40,000 low-income and medically vulnerable Puerto Ricans were supposed to receive federally funded solar panels and battery systems to combat the island’s frequent blackouts, but only 6,000 got off the ground before the Trump administration slashed the funding. (Grist)

AFFORDABILITY

• Residential electricity prices have surged 33% nationwide from 2019 through 2025, with costs in California, the Northeast, and parts of the mid-Atlantic growing even more quickly, according to a new report from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and The Brattle Group. (Utility Dive)

FOSSIL FUELS

• U.S. LNG exports hit a new record in March as conflict in the Middle East took nearly 20% of global supplies offline, with plants running above their nameplate capacity and new processing units starting up. (Reuters)

STORAGE

• While the U.S. deployed a record amount of energy storage capacity last year and domestic battery manufacturing is growing, experts still see a difficult year ahead as the industry navigates foreign material sourcing rules and uncertain load growth forecasts. (Utility Dive)

NUCLEAR

• Texas launches a $350 million program to help build out nuclear reactors that aim to power an anticipated data-center demand boom. (E&E News)

• Commonwealth Fusion Systems will manufacture high-temperature superconducting magnets for Realta Fusion in a partnership designed to speed both companies’ fusion plans. (Axios)

• The DOE’s inspector general finds the department mismanaged plans to build the country’s first small modular nuclear reactor in partnership with NuScale Power and a group of Utah utilities. (E&E News)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• Uber will expand its EV grant program from a few select cities, allowing drivers nationwide to apply for $4,000 to ditch their gas-powered cars. (The Verge)

WIND

• Texas is a leader in onshore wind installations, but political hostility and other factors are keeping the state from deploying offshore capacity to match. (Inside Climate News)