WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY: Good afternoon and happy July, readers! After a long night of voting, Senate Republicans have finally passed their One Big Beautiful Bill Act, sending it back to the House for approval.
The Senate’s passing of the bill brings it one step closer to landing on President Donald Trump’s desk. But, will it get there by Independence Day? Rest assured, we are keeping an eye on it!
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In the meantime, Daily on Energy takes a look at what energy provisions were included in the Senate’s bill and what was removed at the last minute.
Welcome to Daily on Energy, written by Washington Examiner energy and environment writers Callie Patteson (@CalliePatteson) and Maydeen Merino (@MaydeenMerino). Email cpatteson@washingtonexaminer dot com or mmerino@washingtonexaminer dot com for tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. If a friend sent this to you and you’d like to sign up, click here. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email, and we’ll add you to our list.
RENEWABLES SEE SLIGHT RELIEF IN SENATE-PASSED OBBBA: More than 24 hours after the Senate’s vote-a-rama on the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act began, the upper chamber passed the mega tax and policy package which included some carve-outs for new renewable projects.
What changed: The now-passed Senate bill includes steep cuts for these tax credits, ending incentives for wind and solar projects that are placed in service – meaning operational and plugged into the grid – by the end of 2027. In final deliberations, moderates were able to squeeze in a carve out allowing projects that begin construction less than one year after the bill is enacted to still claim the credit. Any projects that start construction after that time frame must be operational and in service by 2027 to be eligible.
Senate Republicans had also sought to include a new tax on solar and wind projects that fail to meet restrictions on the use of Chinese materials. The tax was heavily criticized by clean energy groups and even by notable fossil fuel advocates who said it went too far to penalize the energy industry. This was ultimately removed from the package.
Jason Grumet, CEO of American Clean Power, told Callie that while the overall bill is phasing out clean energy incentives, these two big changes make the legislation more workable for the industry.
“We’re no longer crashing the plane. We’re just crash landing the plane,” Grumet told Callie. “The key here is to understand the amount of time it takes to build new infrastructure and whether the changes were going to interrupt the projects already in production or not. What they’ve now done is basically given the industry the ability to build the projects that are in the pipeline, while we then actively accommodate the new tax policy going forward.”
The tax and spending legislation cleared the Senate around midday in a 51-50 vote, with Vice President JD Vance cast the tiebreaking vote. There were three Republican holdouts – Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Rand Paul of Kentucky, and Susan Collins from Maine.
What’s next: This slight reprieve for the solar and wind industries is still subject to change as the bill now goes back to the House. A number of hardline conservatives, including Texas Rep. Chip Roy, have called for a complete repeal of clean energy tax credits created or extended under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. Republicans are also facing increasing pressure from the administration, as President Donald Trump himself has dubbed the federal incentives for green and renewable projects as a “scam.”
The House Rules committee was scheduled to meet to discuss the bill Tuesday afternoon and was expected to send it to a floor vote with little drama. Congressional Republicans are seeking to have the bill on Trump’s desk by July 4.
ENERGY INDUSTRY REACTS TO SENATE BILL: Shortly after the Senate’s bill passed, those in the energy industry are reacting to the legislative text.
Chris Green, the President of the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub said, “We commend the Senate for including key provisions to 45V that allow additional time for investors and partners to accelerate growth in a vital, strategic sector of the U.S. energy ecosystem.”
“While we believe extending the 45V tax credit for its full term is crucial to unlocking hydrogen’s long-term potential, PNWH2 remains committed to working with our project partners, the Administration and Congress to build a thriving hydrogen sector that is the envy of the world,” he added.
Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association said, “Despite limited improvements, this legislation undermines the very foundation of America’s manufacturing comeback and global energy leadership. If this bill becomes law, families will face higher electric bills, factories will shut down, Americans will lose their jobs, and our electric grid will grow weaker.”
Similarly, national business association Advanced Energy United’s President and CEO Heather O’Neill said, “While Senators have addressed some of the worst provisions from earlier versions – including the ill-conceived excise tax – a number of punitive measures remain. The advanced energy industry will endure, but the downstream effects of these rollbacks and punitive policies will be felt by American families and businesses for years to come.”
EPA PROPOSES ENDANGERMENT FINDING REVISION TO WHITE HOUSE: The Environmental Protection Agency has submitted to the White House a draft rule seeking to revise its Endangerment Finding.
In 2009, the EPA found that greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles and other pollutants endanger public health and safety, also known as the Endangerment Finding. The scientific finding allows for the agency to regulate and set standards for emissions.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced earlier this year that the agency would seek to reconsider the Endangerment Finding. The agency’s submitted draft rule begins the process of revisiting the finding. The draft rule has not yet been made available for the public to view.
The Environmental Defense Fund General Counsel Vickie Patton said in a statement that although the details of the proposed rule is unclear, it appears designed to “weaken the federal government’s ability to regulate sources of the pollution driving climate change.”
“Reducing climate pollution will lead to cleaner air, healthier lives and stronger communities. Attacking the endangerment finding and commonsense limits on vehicle pollution will do the opposite, making American life more expensive and even more dangerous,” Patton said.
LNG EXPORTS DROP IN JUNE: U.S. exports of liquefied natural gas fell to their second lowest monthly level of this year last month, according to new data compiled by financial firm LSEG.
The details: The data, obtained by Reuters, shows that the U.S. sold approximately 8.4 million metric tons of LNG in June. The U.S. exported 8.9 million metric tons one month prior and hit a record of 9.3 million metric tons in April.
Last month’s drop has primarily been attributed to seasonal maintenance that took place at one of the largest export facilities in the country, Cheniere’s Sabine Pass facility in Louisiana. THe company also saw maintenance occurring at its Corpus Christi plant in Texas, which exports roughly 2.4 billion cubic feet per day of LNG. Maintenance at both of these facilities concluded by the last week of the month.
Where is the LNG going? Most of the U.S.’s exports of LNG (around 66%) continues to be purchased by Europe. This has slightly dropped (by around 2%) compared to May, with the Trump administration’s ongoing trade wars driving part of the decline. Similarly, exports to Asia dropped month over month, falling from 21% to 19% of the U.S.’s total exports.
NOAA WEATHER DATA PROGRAM TO BE SHUTDOWN AT END OF THE MONTH: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or NOAA announced it would discontinue a key weather data program used by the U.S. military at the end of the month.
Initially, NOAA planned to end the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program by June but delayed the ending of the program after a top NASA official asked to postpone it. NOAA said Monday that it would end the program by July 31st. The weather agency said its decision to end the program was due to “cybersecurity risks.”
The Department of Defense has used the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program for five decades to provide weather data for its military operations. The phaseout of the program comes as the U.S. is in the middle of its hurricane season which lasts from June to November.
The end of other climate websites: The Trump administration has also ended the U.S. Global Change Research Program’s website, which offered reports and research on climate change. The climate program’s congressionally mandated reports were also removed, which provide information on the impacts climate change has on the country, the Los Angeles Times reported.
This marks yet another effort by the administration to shutdown or restrict climate-focused federal websites.
ICYMI – SOUTH CAROLINA NUCLEAR PLANT SEES OPERATING LICENSE RENEWED: The V.C. Summer power station has received federal approval to continue operating its unit one reactor for another 20 years, marking the latest sign that regulators are putting their support behind the developing nuclear renaissance unfolding in the U.S.
The details: Yesterday, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said it had renewed the operating license for the nuclear plant for a second time, allowing the facility to operate its unit one reactor until August 2062.
The facility, which is run by utility giant Dominion Energy, has been operational since 1982 and received its first license extension in 2004. The unit generates roughly 966 megawatts of nuclear energy.
South Carolina officials have begun discussion on restarting construction on two additional units at the same facility, which had originally been expected to be operational by 2019. Construction was halted on the two reactors in 2017.
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