Trump cuts threaten Louisiana’s ​“Solar for Y’all” program

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SOLAR

• Louisiana’s ​“Solar for Y’all” program to boost development of rooftop or community solar for houses and apartment buildings is threatened as the Trump administration attempts to slash Biden-era grant programs. (Louisiana Illuminator/​WWNO)

• An energy company that’s been rebranded from Freyr Battery announces plans to build a 5 GW solar cell plant near Austin, Texas, near where it relocated its headquarters from Georgia in December. (Electrek)

• A Louisiana parish board extends its moratorium on solar farms and solar plants until 2026, largely to comply with a state agency that advised that state lawmakers are considering new solar regulations. (WBRZ, Livingston Parish News)

• A Colorado company begins construction of a 7 MW solar farm in North Carolina. (Solar Builder)

• Meta signs a power purchase agreement for 100% of the power produced by a planned 200 MW solar farm in Texas. (news release)

• A Texas power company celebrates the launch of its community solar program with the completion of a 10 MW solar facility. (KFOX)

STORAGE

• An Alabama entrepreneur who developed the Super Soaker water gun used those proceeds to develop a new battery he says doesn’t require the same cooling systems as lithium-ion batteries. (AL.com)

• A company closes on $286 million in financing to build two battery storage systems in Texas and Michigan totaling 300 MW. (news release)

GRID

• West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey calls on state lawmakers to pass legislation to allow microgrids to use non-renewable energy sources to help attract data centers, but critics warn the bill could raise costs by requiring the use of more coal. (West Virginia Public Broadcasting, WTRF)

• Arkansas lawmakers approve a bill to allow utilities to finance construction of new power plants and other projects by raising rates during construction instead of after completion. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

• North Carolina regulators and others warn federal officials against approving PJM Interconnection’s plan to set a price cap and floor for its next two capacity auctions, warning that doing so would undermine market principles. (Utility Dive)

• The Memphis, Tennessee, city council approves the sale of 13 acres of land to Elon Musk’s xAI company to build a water reuse plant for its data center, despite the complaints of nearby residents worried about the use of natural gas to power the facility. (Commercial Appeal)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• Virginia pauses the installation of 51 of 53 planned electric vehicle chargers due to a federal funding freeze, though advocates say they’ll press on. (Virginia Mercury)

FOSSIL FUELS

• Oil and gas development in the Permian Basin threatens nearby residents who depend on aquifers for drinking water. (The Hill)

• West Virginia lawmakers advance a resolution directing several agencies to work together to expand coal production and in-state consumption. (WV News)

COMMENTARY

• Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin should sign legislation to allow more small-scale solar and wind projects to join the grid and to aggregate the power from those resources to meet peak demand, writes a clean energy advocate. (Virginian-Pilot)

• Texas lawmakers’ bill to require the state grid operator to add gas- or coal-fired power plants on a one-for-one basis with renewables would raise prices and threaten grid stability, writes a columnist. (Houston Chronicle)