Good morning! The U.S. EPA usually doesn’t play a big part in offshore wind permitting. But under President Trump, that’s changing. Anti-wind advocates tell Clare Fieseler that a revoked permit is evidence that new EPA head Lee Zeldin is sympathetic to their cause, and they’re looking to leverage his leadership for more wins.
Next up, Jeff St. John covers a new partnership that will put ground-source geothermal heat pumps into more than 1,500 brand-new Colorado homes. And we’ve got news on today’s tariffs, Tesla’s falling sales, and LIHEAP’s gutting.
Analysts predict the widespread tariffs President Trump is set to announce today will threaten both the fossil fuel and clean energy industries. (E&E News)
The Trump administration fires staff in charge of administering the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which provides $4 billion annually to help families cover home heating and cooling costs. (Latitude Media)
Legal experts say U.S. EPA Administration Lee Zeldin has so far failed to back up his claims of “waste, fraud, and abuse” in the federal “green bank” program as nonprofits challenge the clawback in court today. (New York Times)
An Indiana faith-based group building energy-efficient housing for low-income residents is among organizations threatened as the U.S. EPA attempts to claw back “green bank” funding. (Inside Climate News)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Chinese EV giant BYD’s sales grew 60% in the first quarter as it makes inroads beyond its home country, while Tesla’s global sales fell 13% over the same period amid consumer backlash against Elon Musk. (CNN, New York Times)
OFFSHORE WIND
Developers of a planned floating offshore wind farm in the Gulf of Maine have asked to suspend negotiations with state regulators, citing “recent shifts in the energy landscape.” (Maine Public)
FOSSIL FUELS
State officials say federal funding to plug abandoned oil and gas wells has started flowing again after a Trump administration pause, but they’re unsure how long that will last. (E&E News)
Brookfield Asset Management edges closer toward a $9 billion deal to acquire the 5,500-mile Colonial Pipeline, the largest fuel pipeline in the U.S. (Reuters)
FINANCE
Corporations that once trumpeted their climate goals have dropped the subject in earnings calls amid backlash against green investing. (Grist)
Venture capital firms have rapidly increased their investment in energy startups over the last decade, but in the last two years support has slowed as the overall venture market cools. (International Energy Agency)
STORAGE
Energy Vault closes $28 million in financing for its Calistoga Resiliency Center — a 293 MWh green hydrogen microgrid system it will build in California. (news release)
LITHIUM
Lithium Americas reaches a final investment decision on its proposed Thacker Pass lithium mine in Nevada and expects the first phase of the project to come online in 2027. (Reuters)
TRANSPORTATION
Under Trump, the U.S. Transportation Department has repeatedly targeted climate-friendly projects and public transit in Democrat-led states. (Grist)
WHITE PAPER
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