Will the Senate protect clean energy?

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

• The U.S. Department of Energy orders a fossil fuel-fired power plant near Philadelphia to stay in operation beyond its planned retirement date, claiming the move will help control consumer costs. (E&E News)

• The Tennessee Valley Authority reconsiders plans to close its coal-fired power plants, which it’s previously used as justification to build new gas-fired plants instead of renewables. (WPLN)

• Arizona’s head utility regulator says the Trump administration’s effort to reopen the recently retired Cholla coal plant in the northern part of the state would cost ratepayers nearly $2 billion. (Hoodline)

• U.S. oil and gas drillers cut the number of operating rigs to the lowest number since November 2021, due largely to lower prices and a focus on boosting shareholder returns. (Reuters)

• More than three-quarters of planned gas pipeline capacity would go toward feeding LNG exports, not meeting domestic demand, the Center for Energy & Environmental Analysis finds. (Inside Climate News)

GRID

• Former Microsoft and BP executives launch GridFree AI, which aims to deploy modular, off-grid power generation systems for data centers. (Axios)

INDUSTRY

• President Trump promises Nippon Steel, upon acquiring U.S. Steel, will keep the American company’s coal-fired blast furnaces in Pennsylvania and Indiana operating at full capacity for at least a decade, which would lock in dangerous pollution levels for years to come. (Inside Climate News)

POLITICS

• The White House is expected to ask the House and Senate to claw back more than $9 billion in already appropriated funding as part of federal budget negotiations. (E&E News)

• Renewable energy lobbyists will intensify their efforts to save Inflation Reduction Act tax credits as budget bill negotiations head to the Senate this week. (E&E News)

• U.S. Energy Department staffers say widespread cuts to energy efficiency, electrification, and other programs will result in higher energy prices for consumers nationwide (The Guardian)

• DOE staffing cuts will continue to grow throughout the year, analysts warn, with some deferred resignations not taking effect until September. (RTO Insider)

TRANSPORTATION

• General Motors’ Canadian EV sales grew 252% in the first quarter of 2025, surpassing Tesla to become the country’s leading EV seller. (Electrek)

• The International Air Transport Association warns progress on decarbonizing the airline industry is slowing, though global production of sustainable aviation fuels is on track to double this year compared to last. (Barron’s)

SOLAR

• Indiana advocates say warehouses and big box stores are an untapped opportunity for solar development that could reduce pressure to build ground-mounted projects. (Indiana Public Media)

• The Gila River Indian Community plans to install floating solar arrays on an Arizona reservoir in an effort to power irrigation operations and reduce evaporation. (Inside Climate News)

NEW FROM CANARY MEDIA

• As the U.S. House’s clean energy incentive-slashing budget bill heads to the Senate, all eyes are on North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, who is among Republicans who argued against a wholesale repeal of IRA tax credits, Elizabeth Ouzts reports.

• Jeff St. John breaks down the U.S. Energy Department’s cancellation of $3.7 billion in funding for industrial decarbonization projects under the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations.

• Months after the catastrophic fire at Vistra’s grid battery in Moss Landing, California, a neighboring battery project is back online, Julian Spector reports.

• The Texas Senate lets three House-passed bills die that would’ve curtailed the state’s booming wind and solar power development, Kathryn Krawczyk reports.