Trump Is Dropping The Renewable Vitality Battle, Half Infinity

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US President Donald Trump definitely is busy as of late, preoccupied as he’s with the kidnap and homicide of US residents whereas desperately struggling to maintain a lid on the Jeffrey Epstein information. And so, it’s no shock to see Trump’s vitality coverage, akin to it’s, circling the drain whereas his consideration is turned elsewhere. The Venezuelan oil scheme is already blowing up in his face whereas the renewable vitality momentum retains on, effectively, momentumizing.

US States Lead On Renewable Vitality

To be clear, President Trump has picked off some low-hanging renewable vitality fruit, most notably in his assault on offshore wind. The home offshore wind trade is uniquely weak to White Home obstruction as a result of it relies upon nearly solely on federal leases issued by the Bureau of Ocean Vitality Administration, within the US Division of the Inside. Cancel the leases, and Bob’s your uncle.

Or not, because the case could also be. The low-hanging fruit is resisting. In December, a federal choose affirmed the President’s authority to cease issuing new offshore wind leaseshowever dominated that the Inside Division’s disruptive “evaluation” of present leases was unlawful. The trade can also be difficult an Inside Division stop-work order on 5 offshore wind farms.

Within the meantime, state coverage makers are undercutting Trump’s fossil-friendly vitality coverage left, proper, and heart, significantly within the case of photo voltaic vitality.

On January 8, the Photo voltaic Vitality Industries Affiliation recapped a profitable 12 months for state-based vitality coverage, highlighted by laws in California that has opened the door to new electrical energy partnerships with different Western states.

“Furthermore, Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Govt Order on Bolstering Clear Vitality Initiatives,” SEIA additionally famous. “The EO ensures California’s companies and utilities keep on observe and expedite tasks of all sizes to make sure they will benefit from expiring federal tax credit.”

Different stateside renewable vitality wins highlighted by SEIA embody Colorado, the place a brand new Govt Order from Governor Jared Polis is geared toward accelerating grid connections and streamlining procedures for utility-scale clear vitality buys. SEIA additionally credit itself with offering skilled testimony resulting in  approval of a brand new Digital Energy Plant program in Colorado. The state’s warmth pump profile can also be starting to speed up alongside a brand new residence vitality rebate program (see extra VPP background right here).

SEIA will get one other pat on the again from itself for collaborating with the members of the Texas vitality trade and different stakeholders to knock down three items of proposed laws that may have made renewable vitality and storage tasks tougher to launch, whereas efficiently selling the passage of three new payments making rooftop photo voltaic and residential vitality storage extra accessible and reasonably priced.

Extra US States Come Out Swinging

SEIA additionally claims a management position within the passage of the brand new Clear and Dependable Grid Affordability Act in Illinois. Projected to save electrical energy ratepayers $13.4 billion over the following 20 years, the brand new legislation focuses on ramping up the state’s vitality storage profile and establishing a brand new Digital Energy Plant platform.

When Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed the invoice into legislation on January 8, he made it clear that the his residence state intends to function a mannequin for different state coverage makers. “The Clear and Dependable Grid Affordability Act units a nationwide normal within the effort to decrease vitality prices and marks a historic step ahead in our clear vitality imaginative and prescient,” Pritzker stated.

“As soon as once more, Illinois is stepping up the place the federal authorities is failing,” he emphasised.

And, failing the federal authorities is. The brand new SEIA report additionally describes important renewable vitality wins in Maryland (front-of-the-meter photo voltaic and storage tasks), New Jersey (neighborhood photo voltaic, vitality storage, and rooftop photo voltaic), and Virginia (digital energy vegetation).

Wanting ahead, the Democratic candidate for New Jersey Governor, Mikie Sherrill, received her election in November and can take over the renewable vitality banner from the outgoing Democratic Governor and offshore wind advocate, Phil Murphy, whereas voters in Virginia changed their Republican Governor, Glenn Youngkin, with Democrat Abigail Spanberger. “Abigail is aware of that Virginia has the chance to be a nationwide chief in clear vitality, together with by bringing high-paying clear vitality jobs to the Commonwealth by means of investments in offshore wind, rooftop photo voltaic, and different renewable vitality sources,” the Spanberger marketing campaign has said.

On high of presidency coverage makers, US companies and international traders are persevering with to push the renewable vitality envelope, one latest instance being a brand new, 50-project photo voltaic and storage plan launched by the main US waste administration agency WM.

In one other growth with implications for additional progress within the coming years, final October SEIA reported that the home photo voltaic trade accomplished the onshoring of its provide chain throughout Trump’s first 12 months again in workplace, with dozens of latest or expanded amenities coming on-line in the course of the first 9 months of 2025.

The Offshore Wind Battle Continues

Though SEIA President Abigail Ross Hopper warned that greater than 100 photo voltaic and storage amenities stay in danger from additional federal obstruction, to date the photo voltaic and storage industries have endured.

The offshore wind trade and state officers are preventing again as effectively. The Inside Division issued its stop-work order towards 5 wind farms on December 22: Winery Wind (Massachusetts), Revolution Wind (Connecticut and Rhode Island), Dawn Wind (New York), Empire Wind (additionally New York), and the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind undertaking in Virginia. Two days later, the Governors of 4 of the impacted states demanded that the Inside Division justify its motion, whereas the undertaking builders have additionally launched their battle in courtroom (right here’s a very good recap from PBS).

Notably absent from the fray is Virginia Governor Youngkin, who nonetheless holds the workplace till Spanberger is sworn in on January 17. It’s been nothing however cricket chirps from the outgoing Governor, whose earlier help for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind undertaking has evaporated as he ponders his subsequent transfer up the Republican Occasion ladder.

In the meantime, the renewable vitality Whack-a-Mole continues. In a single significantly attention-grabbing growth, US photo voltaic innovators are starting to take advantage of new alternatives in area, past the attain of federal obstruction (right here’s a associated instance, that includes a Canadian developer). On the wind aspect, E&E Information stories that New England governors have dedicated to increase the area’s longstanding, cross-border vitality infrastructure collaboration with Canada, together with the potential for an offshore wind partnership between Massachusetts and Nova Scotia.

As for distracting consideration from the Epstein information, Trump’s plan for exploiting Venezuela’s huge oil reserves was a sizzling mess to start with and it’s getting stickier by the minute, as actuality rears its ugly head within the type of important safety issues and falling crude costsmain the Republican-led Senate to formally register an objection to sending in US troops.

The following step is a vote within the Home of Representatives subsequent week. “Venezuela has the jungles of Vietnam and the mountains of Afghanistan,” NBC Information reported on January 7, citing a safety skilled with the College of Chicago, which ought to assist inspire Home Republicans to help a decision towards additional navy motion in Venezuela.

With Venezuela tucked away in the meanwhile, Trump nonetheless has another instruments in his Epstein distraction toolkit. There’s the weird risk towards Greenland and the NATO alliance, after all, however Trump has additionally been engaged on a a lot juicier distraction, a gradual stream of canards about left wing terrorism and unlawful immigration that has devolved right into a cacophony of post-humus vitriol launched towards Renee Nicole Goodan unarmed US citizen shot to demise in her automotive on January 7, with the gunman recognized as ICE officer Jonathan Ross.

It’s not going to work. Whereas outrage over Trump’s ham-handed coverup of the Good homicide continues to collect steam, on January 8 the bipartisan workforce of Home lawmakers Thomas Massie (R-KY), and Ro Khanna (D-CA) known as for the appointment of a particular grasp to drive the Trump administration to launch the total Epstein information as required by legislation. The strain is simply going to extend as Election Day 2026 approaches.

Ideas? Drop a be aware within the remark thread or higher but, discover your representatives in Congress and allow them to know what you assume.

Photograph: The renewable vitality transition continues within the US, supported by new state-based laws favoring financial advantages over partisan politics (cropped, courtesy of NREL).