Good morning! The PJM Interconnection needs more power, and fast. Jeff St. John talks to advocates about how it can get solar, wind, and battery projects plugged into the grid fast enough to replace closing coal plants.
And Kathiann Kowalski covers how one of the nation’s largest hydrogen-powered transit fleets is looking to switch from dirty hydrogen to a clean version of the fuel.
Plus, there’s a whole lot to catch up on after the long weekend.
Democrat-led states are ramping up efforts to make fossil fuel companies pay for climate damages in the wake of Trump’s election. (The Guardian)
Energy Secretary Chris Wright’s former company Liberty Energy, along with an oil firm and pipeline company, led the fight against the SEC’s now-withdrawn rule requiring companies to disclose emissions and climate risks. (Washington Post)
The Trump administration orders the Department of Homeland Security to end all climate-related initiatives and remove mention of climate change from DHS policies and programs. (Bloomberg)
The direct-air carbon capture industry is struggling to secure enough renewable power to run operations — a problem that will likely only worsen as competition grows from data centers, electrification, and states’ clean electricity goals. (New York Times)
A new forecast projects data centers will drive a nearly 17% increase in peak demand on the PJM grid by 2035, worrying environmental advocates who expect new fossil fuel-fired power plants to be built in response. (Inside Climate News)
OFFSHORE WIND
President Trump’s executive order halting offshore wind development could make it difficult or impossible for several northeastern states to reach their ambitious climate goals. (Washington Post)
TARIFFS
The director of a transformer manufacturing group says Trump’s steel tariffs pose a “national security risk,” as they’ll force the industry to rely on a single domestic supplier and slow production as power demand rises. (Heatmap)
GEOTHERMAL
The founder of a new geothermal drilling trade group discusses efforts to train more workers for the industry, and how oil and gas drillers can transition to geothermal. (Inside Climate News)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES
As California regulators withdraw their plans to replace diesel-powered semi-trucks with electric alternatives, experts say the proposal was too ambitious, but officials say they’ll press on in other ways. (New York Times)
The Trump administration’s effort to pause billions of dollars in clean energy funding jeopardizes a plan in solidly conservative southern Indiana to power hundreds of low- and moderate-income households with solar. (The Guardian)
On stage: Conversations with clean energy experts, including Rep. Sean Casten of the U.S. Congress, Naomi Davis of Blacks in Green, Kara Demirjian Huss of TCCI Manufacturing, A.J. Patton of 548 Enterprises, David Roberts of Volts, Angela Tovar of the city of Chicago and more to be announced!
Off stage: Drink, eat, and socialize with clean energy leaders, investors, inventors, public leaders, and advocates.
🗓️March 27, 2025, 2:00 - 7:00p.m. CDT
📍 mHUB • 1623 West Fulton Street Chicago, IL 60612
Powering Possible: AI and Energy for a Sustainable Future
This report from Microsoft identifies seven areas of collaboration and action for the energy and technology sectors to accelerate a just, orderly, and equitable energy transformation to net-zero and to unlock the full potential of Artificial Intelligence.
