WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY: Good afternoon and happy Wednesday, readers! President Donald Trump reinforced his criticism of green energy, promising that his administration would not approve any new wind and solar projects. We take a closer look at Trump’s claim that renewable energy like wind and solar projects have driven up the cost of electricity bills for Americans. 

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.

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TRUMP ESCALATES CRACKDOWN ON RENEWABLES: New solar projects are also now on the chopping block for President Donald Trump, as he vowed early this morning to not issue any approvals for wind and solar under his administration. 

The details: Trump ranted about the renewable sources on Truth Social, calling them the “scam of the century.” He accused wind and solar of driving “record breaking increases in electricity and energy costs” in states that rely on them, but did not provide any evidence or specify which states he was referring to. 

“We will not approve wind or farmer destroying Solar,” Trump said. “The days of stupidity are over in the USA!!!”

This is the first time that Trump has directly said he would block new solar programs, and it was not immediately clear whether he intends to stop projects on both public and private lands. The White House did not directly answer when asked for clarification. 

A White House official told Daily on Energy that “generally” states offering incentives for wind and solar projects also de-incentivize fossil fuels. The official also claimed that the most expensive energy states are more likely to have high percentages of renewables in their energy portfolios. 

Pushback: Clean energy proponents swiftly moved to fact-check the president’s claims, with American Clean Power CEO Jason Grumet telling Callie that Trump’s assertions are “demonstrably wrong.” 

“The four states with the highest renewable generation all saw prices drop this year, and the 10 states with the lowest renewable penetration have all seen their prices increase. So the President is simply incorrect,” Grumet said. 

The Energy Information Administration also confirmed to Daily on Energy that the price of natural gas has actually been one of the main drivers behind continued increases in electricity prices. Other factors include a large spike in demand, utility investments in transmission infrastructure, as well as the cost of new generating capacity. 

HALF OF NEW ELECTRICITY GENERATION CAPACITY WILL COME FROM SOLAR: Solar could account for more than half of new electricity generation capacity this year, the EIA said. 

According to an EIA survey, developers added 12 gigawatts (GW) of new utility-scale solar electric generating capacity in the first half of the year. Developers plan to add another 21 GW in the second half of the year. EIA said if developers meet those plans, solar would account for more than half of the 64 GW of electricity generation brought online this year. 

EIA added that developers could set a record for additional capacity if all 64 GW come online. The rest of the new generation will come from battery storage, wind and natural gas power plants. 

Abigail Ross Hopper, President and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association, said in a statement: “Solar and storage continue to account for more of the new power generation being built in America than every other electricity source combined. In the face of rising energy costs and growing demand for power, clean, reliable solar and storage will continue to be the fastest – and in most cases the cheapest – way to meet energy demand.” 

This comes as the Trump administration has made it more challenging for renewable energy developments like wind and solar by slashing tax credits, setting new restrictions on projects, and terminating funding for renewable energy programs like Solar for All. 

EPA POISED TO USE AI FOR FASTER CHEMICAL REVIEWS: The Environmental Protection Agency is reportedly planning to use artificial intelligence to accelerate chemical reviews, but has yet to develop the program it intends to use. 

The details: The EPA intends to develop an “AI Chemical Assistant” that will assist chemical reviewers research through agency repositories to identify information used in Toxic Substances Control submission reviews and risk evaluations, according to EPA’s internal AI use case inventory, reviewed by E&E News. The agency has claimed this tool could save “hundreds of staff hours per review/evaluation.” 

The EPA also reportedly plans to use a tool called “EcoVault,” which would be used to summarize and grab information from scientific studies and other lengthy documents to provide summaries to staff within the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. The use of the tools aligns directly with the administration’s efforts to streamline agency reviews and approvals by adopting the use of AI and other methods of digitization. 

While technically the technology the agency could use to accomplish these goals does exist, experts told the E&E News there are major concerns over moving too quickly as there are still gaps in data available. Many fear that the administration will use the technology in a manner that would reduce environmental protections or put confidential information at risk. 

The EPA has confirmed the agency plans to use AI tools and machine learning within its chemical safety program but did not say when it intends to launch the tech. 

“We’re evaluating opportunities to use AI to streamline our new chemical reviews and to inform our risk evaluations to ensure we’re using the right technology to support our program,” press secretary Carolyn Holran told the outlet.

LATEST ON HURRICANE ERIN: North Carolina is under a state of emergency and evacuation orders have been issued in parts of the Outer Banks as Hurricane Erin makes its way up the eastern coastline.

Hurricane Erin remains over the Atlantic Ocean but is following a curved path between the East Coast and Bermuda. As of today, the hurricane’s center is about 365 miles south-southeast of Hatteras, North Carolina, or in between North Carolina and Bermuda, the Weather Channel said. 

The storm is a category-2 hurricane as of this afternoon and not expected to make landfall, but it is raising concerns about flooding and strong waves. North Carolina has issued a state of emergency and evacuation orders for the Outer Banks regions. Evacuation orders were issued in Hyde and Dare counties. 

“I know many who live on the island feel they can ride out a storm, but Hurricane Erin is different,” Dare County Emergency Management Director Drew Pearson said in a press release yesterday. 

“Extended flooding and the threat to Highway 12 will severely limit our ability to respond—and even a slight shift in Erin’s track toward our coast could bring much more dangerous conditions. Please, do not take the risk. Evacuate now, while it is still safe to do so,” it added. 

The Weather Channel said that coastal flooding might be most significant early Thursday evening from the southern Delmarva Peninsula and southern Chesapeake Bay into eastern North Carolina.

NORTH SEA COMPANY URGES UK TO SCRAP WINDFALL TAX AS PRICES FALL: A major operator told the Financial Times that oil and gas companies in the North Sea are not earning “windfall” profits and their tax rates should be revised as crude prices are now about half of their 2022 peak. 

These companies are paying a 38% energy profits levy that was introduced after Russia invaded Ukraine. The levy is set to run until 2030, but the United Kingdom government has been discussing with the sector a long-term tax option. 

“Right now the [energy profits levy] is anything but a windfall tax, we are far away from the windfall of 2022,” Yaniv Friedman, chair of Ithaca Energy, told FT. Ithaca is expecting to pay more in taxes this year from between $270 million and $300 million, compared to the previous year of $235 million to $265 million. Oil prices are expected to drop by the end of the year. 

The sector has argued that the tax threatens the UK’s energy security and investment. 

“Ideally, we think it [the windfall tax] should go away,” Friedman said. “Being realistic, the government could do a lot to improve the mechanism.” 

ICYMI – ELECTRIFICATION TO LOWER HOUSEHOLD ENERGY COSTS: Yesterday, the Electric Power Research Institute released a report estimating that the electrification of vehicles and home appliances can dramatically lower energy bills over the next 25 years by upward of 42%. 

The details: EPRI estimates that, in 2024, the average household had direct energy costs of around $5,530, with gasoline making up the largest share of $2,930. Electricity made up roughly $1,850. The group indicated that families can directly lower some of these costs opting for electric vehicles or installing heat pumps. 

EPRI made two future projections for lowering costs, with the primary difference being the expiration of Inflation Reduction Act subsidies. These subsidies, which supported electrification efforts in vehicle and appliance sectors, are set to be slashed under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. 

If these tax credit phase-outs continue as scheduled, the group estimated that electrification will lower home energy costs by 36% by 2050. If for some reason these phase-outs were canceled, EPRI estimated that costs would drop by 42% in the same time frame. 

Key quote: “Even with higher energy prices over time, electrification and the efficiency gains from a broader adoption of emerging technologies can reduce households’ energy bills,” EPRI VP of Electrification and Sustainable Energy Strategy David Porter said. “This report offers stakeholders a more complete lens on household energy affordability, helping them better understand and evaluate opportunities for improvements going forward.”

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