TotalEnergies gets its payout, a lithium lode in Appalachia, and more headlines

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

• The Trump administration pays TotalEnergies nearly $1 billion to abandon its offshore wind leases, even as Democrats in Congress launch an investigation into the deal. (E&E News, Associated Press)

• Maine utility regulators reopen bidding for the development of onshore wind projects in the far northern part of the state, saying the move will allow them to choose between even more qualified proposals. (Bangor Daily News)

BATTERIES

• A large swath of untapped lithium deposits along the East Coast could provide the U.S. with enough of the crucial battery metal for hundreds of years, a new federal report finds. (E&E News)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• Rivian amends its $6.57 billion loan agreement with the DOE down to $4.5 billion, enabling the company to access the funds sooner while increasing its production expectations from 200,000 units across its first phase to 300,000. (TechCrunch)

• A Sierra Club report finds states have been slow to roll out EV chargers, including because of the Trump administration’s attempts to undermine federal funding, but their pace is now accelerating. (Sierra Club)

• Tesla begins mass-manufacturing its Class 8 electric semi at its production line in Reno, Nevada. (Hoodline)

SOLAR

• U.S. panel maker First Solar reports record-high first-quarter revenue thanks to rising sales in India and elsewhere. (Reuters)

SHIPPING

• Negotiators at the International Maritime Organization say they’ve faced fierce fossil fuel lobbying as they work on an agreement to decarbonize global shipping. (The Guardian)

FOSSIL FUELS

• President Donald Trump gives a key approval for a Keystone-like pipeline that would carry oil from Canada through Montana and Wyoming, though it still needs some additional state and environmental permits. (Associated Press)

• The Ohio Supreme Court unanimously rules that state regulators were correct to allow American Electric Power to collect subsidies to support two unprofitable and scandal-ridden coal plants, and the utility does not need to reimburse customers. (WEWS)

GRID

• California’s grid operator expects today’s launch of its extended day-ahead regional power market to be ​“very solid.” (Utility Dive)