KEY DEVELOPMENTS

• Trump EPA Repeals GHG Endangerment Finding: The administration rescinded the foundational ruling classifying greenhouse gases as a public health threat, removing the legal basis for federal carbon emissions regulation. Read More: PV Magazine.
• Maine Activates First Utility-Scale BESS: Plus Power brought online Maine's inaugural 175 MW/350 MWh utility-scale battery energy storage system in Gorham, bolstering grid stability and advancing renewable goals. Read More: Solar Builder.
• Florida Bill Seeks Ban on Local Climate Policies: A Florida House committee advanced legislation prohibiting local governments from enacting climate change and "net-zero policies," echoing the state's broader shift away from climate considerations. Read More: Florida Phoenix.
• US Details China Limits for Clean Energy Credits: New federal guidelines restrict tax credits for clean energy components sourced from China, aiming to onshore manufacturing and reduce reliance on foreign supply chains. Read More: Bloomberg.
• Oregon Lawmakers Revive Polluter Damages Bill: Oregon lawmakers are pushing legislation to force out-of-state fossil fuel companies to compensate residents for extreme weather damages, linking industrial emissions directly to climate impacts. Read More: Portland Oregonian.

Solar & Storage

Today delivered a stark reminder of the nation's fractured energy landscape, with significant strides in battery storage deployment contrasting sharply with a dramatic federal policy reversal. In Maine, the state celebrated a critical milestone as. This project, Maine’s first of its kind, promises to stabilize the grid, reduce consumer electricity costs, and push the state closer to its ambitious 100% renewable energy target by 2040. This follows recent large-scale BESS activations across the country, including FlexGen’s 700 MWh Midwest projects and Sunraycer’s planned 503 MWh Texas storage reported earlier this week, signaling a continued robust buildout of grid flexibility. Read More: Plus Power brought online its 175 MW/350 MWh utility-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) in Gorham.

The pace of BESS deployment remains aggressive globally, with South Africa's. This 300 MW solar facility featuring a massive 660 MWh of battery storage will serve industrial customers, highlighting the growing demand for private, utility-scale renewable solutions even in challenging markets. Meanwhile, EnergyAustralia in South Australia and CleanCo Queensland in Australia also announced significant BESS projects, emphasizing the international momentum for energy storage. The world's first utility-scale battery using 628 Ah lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells, a 200 MW/400 MWh project, also entered operation in China, indicating rapid advancements in battery technology. Read More: SOLA Group reaching financial close on the Naos-1 Hybrid Solar and Battery Project, PV Magazine.

Yet, domestic battery supply chains face ongoing scrutiny. The US government today. This move, aimed at bolstering domestic manufacturing and reducing reliance on foreign supply chains, directly impacts battery and solar development. The challenge remains for American manufacturers to scale quickly enough to meet the demand generated by projects like Maine's and the broader climate goals, especially given the backdrop of policies designed to incentivize domestic production. This push for diversification could also accelerate innovation "beyond a lithium-only future," with industry voices like Giovanni Damato of CMBlu Energy advocating for , particularly around Foreign-Owned Enterprises (FEOCs) and Section 301 tariffs. Read More: released new details limiting Chinese clean energy components eligible for federal tax credits, new BESS technologies driven by US trade rules.

Policy & Markets

The Trump Administration delivered a seismic shock to American climate policy today, with the EPA announcing the. This seminal ruling, which classified greenhouse gases as a threat to public health and welfare, provided the legal bedrock for federal regulations on carbon emissions. Its elimination erases the legal basis for ambitious carbon regulations, directly undermines clean energy initiatives, and potentially exposes provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act to heightened legal challenges. This follows earlier warnings this week about the administration's intent to dismantle key climate rules. Read More: repeal of the 2009 Endangerment Finding.

The immediate fallout is severe. Colorado environmental groups, facing direct impacts from this federal rollback, have indicating a deepening state-federal divide on climate action. This national shift mirrors a worrying trend at the state level; Florida’s legislative efforts to , including "net-zero policies," further underscore a coordinated resistance to climate action in key states. Read More: vowed to "play the long game,", prohibit local governments from enacting their own climate change policies.

Against this backdrop, the Department of Energy’s announcement of , aimed at improving nuclear plant deployment and optimizing energy systems, provides a glimpse into alternative federal energy priorities. While AI offers promising solutions for grid management and efficiency, it cannot substitute for foundational climate policy. Meanwhile, European climate policy also shows fragmentation, with while other nations scale back solar and wind, illustrating the global uncertainty in decarbonization strategies. Read More: 26 AI challenges under its Genesis Mission, France doubling down on nuclear power.

Amid the policy upheaval, some states are pushing back. Oregon lawmakers are again attempting to pass legislation that would compel a select group of. This bill seeks to assign financial responsibility for climate impacts, a move that could set a precedent for other states seeking to hold corporate polluters liable. Separately, New Jersey legislators advanced a bill that would require , preventing these expenses from being passed onto residential ratepayers. This particular legislation addresses the growing power demands of large technology infrastructures like those Meta announced just yesterday in Indiana, where the company committed to 100% clean energy for its new $10 billion data center. Read More: out-of-state fossil fuel companies to compensate residents for damages from extreme weather events, data centers and other large energy consumers to cover a greater share of their infrastructure costs.

LOOKING AHEAD

• Federal Regulatory Challenges: Watch for immediate legal challenges to the EPA's endangerment finding repeal and its potential impact on existing IRA provisions.
• State-Level Climate Response: Expect increased advocacy and legislative action from states like Colorado and Oregon to counteract federal climate policy rollbacks.
• Domestic Supply Chain Acceleration: Monitor how new US tax credit restrictions stimulate onshore manufacturing for batteries and solar components in the coming months.

THE BOTTOM LINE: The Trump Administration's repeal of the GHG Endangerment Finding represents a profound federal retreat from climate action, escalating the importance of state-level policies and domestic manufacturing strategies for the continued, albeit now more challenging, clean energy transition.