President Donald Trump has announced that the US will not approve solar and wind projects that harm farmland, citing concerns about rising electricity prices. This follows the USDA's decision to end programs supporting clean energy on productive farmland. Nearly 12,000 farms were home to solar panels in 2022, while another 14,500 hosted wind turbines, per the USDA. The "senseless policy will only make it harder for farmers and landowners to decide for themselves what is best to keep their farms alive and operating with diverse revenue sources," said Stephanie Bosh of the Solar Energy Industries Association.

Meta and Silicon Ranch appear to have found a formula for success when it comes to securing low-cost, reliable clean energy for data centers. The duo has partnered on more than 18 projects in the Southeast, helping to add more than 1.5 gigawatts of power for Meta's data center initiatives. Their latest project, a 100-megawatt solar site in South Carolina, leveraged a pair of electrical cooperatives to purchase and deliver the power and build on their established model of linking utility-scale solar to data center operations.

US household electricity bills have risen 10% since President Donald Trump took office, driven by tariffs and cuts to clean energy projects, according to a report from Climate Power. The report notes that electricity prices have increased by 10% from January to May, with some regions experiencing even higher spikes, such as a 20% increase in New Jersey. The report also highlights that rising energy demand from data centers and higher temperatures are contributing to the increase.

It's no secret that ensuring a reliable flow of affordable power is challenging, but who knows what actually goes on behind the scenes of a grid operator's ordinary day? In this episode of the Shift Key podcast, the California Independent System Operator's Mark Rothleder discusses a typical day managing CAISO's resource mix and handling peak demand.

Saudi Aramco economist Mustafa Babiker has been appointed as a coordinating lead author for a chapter of the next Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, raising concerns among climate advocates about potential corporate influence on the scientific process. Babiker has worked at Aramco for nearly 20 years and was nominated by the Saudi Arabian government.

The Trump administration has expanded its 50% steel and aluminum tariffs to include 407 additional product categories, marking a significant broadening of its trade policy. The Department of Commerce announced that this move aims to enhance the effectiveness of tariffs and prevent circumvention by targeting a wider range of products.

Renewables are essential in the fight against climate change, but companies also need to protect themselves from climate-induced risks, and parametric insurance is an increasingly popular tool for doing just that. Unlike traditional indemnity coverage, parametric products offer rapid compensation when specific weather thresholds are met, though payouts are not guaranteed if triggers are missed.

Pakistan is ramping up solar and battery energy storage systems to help combat persistent power shortfalls and high power costs. The nation imported 17 gigawatts of solar and roughly 1.25 gigawatt-hours of lithium-ion battery packs last year on top of its 40 GW installed capacity. The trend is driving down power costs and helping Pakistan reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels, but grid changes may be required to support the nation's shifting power mix.

Puget Sound Energy's Beaver Creek wind farm in Montana has started operations with an initial capacity of 248 megawatts, enough to power 83,000 homes annually. The project, completed in just over a year, leverages PSE's existing transmission infrastructure to deliver clean wind energy to its customers.

Duke Energy is seeking a 50-year extension of its operating license for the Bad Creek Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Station in South Carolina. The extension would allow the plant, which has been a key part of the company's energy system since 1991, to continue serving as a significant