Two nuclear projects break ground, Jones Act waived again, 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.

FOSSIL FUELS

• President Donald Trump extends a Jones Act waiver for another 90 days, making it easier for non-American-flagged vessels to transport oil and other goods between U.S. ports. (Reuters)

• The cost of building new gas plants in the U.S. has risen 66% from 2023 to 2025, and the time needed to bring a facility online has also increased by 23%. (Bloomberg)

NUCLEAR

• Bill Gates-backed TerraPower breaks ground on its 345-MW Natrium advanced nuclear plant in western Wyoming. (WyoFile)

• Kairos Power breaks ground on its first commercial-scale advanced reactor, which will deliver power to Google data centers. (World Nuclear News)

• Nuclear developer X-energy raises $1 billion in its IPO after selling shares above their marketed range. (Quartz)

SOLAR

• The U.S. Commerce Department announces preliminary antidumping duties on solar imports from India, Indonesia, and Laos. (Reuters)

• Opponents are spreading unproven public health concerns about solar and spurring a backlash to new installations in Michigan, which is among the top states expected to add solar capacity this year. (ProPublica)

• Advocates call on California’s Supreme Court to overturn the state’s policy slashing net-metering compensation for rooftop solar after a lower court upheld the rules for a second time. (PV Magazine)

OVERSIGHT

• The Trump administration creates a Marine Minerals Administration to oversee offshore oil drilling and seabed mining, a move that unites two offices and that critics say could weaken regulation. (New York Times)

GRID

• The Tennessee Valley Authority signs 20-year agreements with a 225 MW battery storage project planned for eastern Tennessee, and another 200 MW project coming to Alabama. (PV Magazine, Huntsville Business Journal)

FOSSIL FUELS

• The U.S. Supreme Court sides with the state of Michigan in allowing a case challenging Line 5’s operation in the Great Lakes to be decided in state court, though it’s unclear how the ruling will affect other pending lawsuits. (Associated Press)

• Two Pennsylvania coal-fired power plants slated for retirement would make upgrades to reduce pollution and remain in operation until 2032 under the terms of an agreement with regulators. (Pennsylvania Capital-Star)

OFFSHORE WIND

• The Trump administration indicates that a recent order stopping enforcement of anti-renewables policies could affect the government’s attempts to withdraw a key permit for a planned offshore wind project near Massachusetts. (E&E News)