Trump’s tariff trouble

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.

CLEAN ENERGY

• The world used clean power to meet more than 40% of its electricity demand last year, with hydropower leading among carbon-free sources, a new Ember report finds. (The Guardian, Ember)

• Maryland lawmakers pass a package of energy bills that includes provisions for fast-tracking some community solar project approvals and prohibiting counties from banning solar development in hopes of curbing power rates. (Maryland Matters)

• A report finds replacing the Comanche 3 coal plant in Colorado with an industrial-scale solar, wind, and storage energy park could generate up to $40 million in tax revenue and create 300 jobs. (Colorado News Connection)

GRID

• A study from the National Electrical Manufacturers Association finds U.S. electricity demand will increase 2% each year by 2050, largely because of transportation electrification and new data centers, though efficiency measures will help stem power use. (Utility Dive)

COAL

• President Trump today will sign executive orders to boost the coal industry, including by forcing some retiring coal plants to remain open. (E&E News)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• A new Gallup poll finds 51% of Americans currently own or are interested in buying an EV, 8% fewer than polling found in 2023. (Washington Post)

• The Port of Los Angeles’ plan to convert more than 1,000 heavy-duty diesel vehicles to battery or hydrogen trucks stalls after the Trump administration freezes over $1.1 billion in federal grants. (E&E News)

CLIMATE

• States need to work together to fight climate change and ensure clean air and water as the U.S. EPA under Trump attempts to deregulate fossil fuels, says former agency administrator Gina McCarthy. (CommonWealth Beacon)

FOSSIL FUELS

• The Trump administration has fast-tracked approvals for liquified natural gas export terminals on the Gulf Coast, but companies have still delayed construction due to rising costs, labor issues, and difficulty securing customers. (E&E News)

FUNDING FREEZE

• A U.S. Justice Department attorney strays from EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin’s claims of fraud in distribution of ​“green bank” funding, and instead argues the funding can be terminated based on a clause in the EPA’s grant agreement with nonprofit recipients. (Utility Dive)

WIND

• Experts say former coal-producing Appalachian communities can become manufacturing hubs for the wind energy industry because of their workforce, access to transportation routes, and availability of rare earth minerals found in coal ash deposits. (Public News Service)

PUBLIC LANDS

• Climate and environmental advocates urge U.S. senators to block Kathleen Sgamma’s confirmation as director of the federal Bureau of Land Management, saying the oil and gas lobbyist has ​“inherent conflicts of interest.” (Public Domain)

TRANSPORTATION

• Congestion pricing in Manhattan will continue at least through the summer as the federal government indicates it will not seek an emergency order to stop the system while the courts decide if the federal government has the authority to shut it down for good. (Streetsblog)

NEW FROM CANARY MEDIA

• President Trump’s tariffs likely won’t harm the solar and wind industries as much as battery and EV makers, but the cleantech industry will still suffer and energy infrastructure will get harder to build, experts tell Jeff St. John.

• Southern California regulators consider new rules to clean the region’s smog-filled air, but stop short of mandating heat pumps and banning appliances that emit nitrogen oxides, Alison Takemura reports.