Spending freeze fallout

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.

POLITICS:

• Former fracking executive Chris Wright is confirmed as U.S. energy secretary after a hearing in which he declared ​“there isn’t dirty energy and clean energy; all energy is different and they all have different tradeoffs,” and stood by past comments downplaying the seriousness of climate change. (Grist, The Guardian)

• President Trump delays implementation of his Canada and Mexico tariffs for one month, postponing charges that would’ve raised the prices of electricity, oil and gas, and many clean energy components. (NBC News)

• China announces 15% tariffs on U.S. imports of coal and liquefied natural gas in response to Trump’s 10% tariffs on Chinese products. (Axios)

• An under-the-radar move from the U.S. Energy Department has gutted the Biden administration’s Justice40 initiative, which helped ensure federal spending benefited environmental justice communities. (Heatmap)

• The U.S. EPA tells more than 1,000 employees they are ​“likely on a probationary/​trial period” and may be fired ​“immediately.” (The Hill)

SOLAR

• Biden administration policies helped expand U.S. solar module production sevenfold to 50 gigawatts since 2020, and enough to meet domestic demand, according to a new industry report. (E&E News, subscription).

• Developers bring the 300 MW Quartzite solar-plus-storage project online on federal land in southern California. (PV Magazine)

OFFSHORE WIND

• New Jersey decides not to award a contract in its fourth offshore wind solicitation, creating questions about the future of the industry in the state, and contributing to concerns that President Trump’s anti-wind plans are gaining traction. (New Jersey Monitor, Politico)

• Dominion Energy affirms construction of its offshore wind farm near Virginia is still on track for completion by 2026, though its projected cost has increased 9% to $10.7 billion. (news release)

GEOTHERMAL

A Houston-based startup experiments with using a beam of electromagnetic waves to melt or vaporize rock, which could theoretically enable drilling up to 12 miles and unlock geothermal power in more places. (Houston Chronicle)

UTILITIES

A renewable energy advocacy group calls on Congress to reform the Tennessee Valley Authority as it faces growing power demand from data centers, clean energy manufacturing projects and consumer electrification. (Kentucky Lantern)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Data show California electric vehicle sales flatlined last year and Tesla sold 12% fewer cars than in 2023, potentially hampering automakers’ ability to meet state mandates. (Los Angeles Times, Mercury News)

OIL & GAS

• Small, low-emitting oil and gas drilling sites contribute 70% of all oil and gas methane emissions in the continental U.S., according to a new study. (E&E News, subscription)

• U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum lifts a Biden-era offshore oil drilling ban and issues other orders aimed at ​“unleashing American energy” as his first moves as a cabinet member. (news release)