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Key developments
Trump DOJ climate brief alarms conservative allies
E&E News by POLITICO’s Jean Chemnick reports that conservative advocates Steve Milloy and Myron Ebell say a May 21 Department of Justice amicus brief in Suncor v. Boulder may undercut EPA’s repeal of the 2009 greenhouse gas endangerment finding. DOJ argued the Clean Air Act makes EPA the primary regulator of greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources, while EPA’s rollback strategy leans on claims of limited authority. Milloy and Ebell also signed a letter urging Trump to quickly finalize a power plant greenhouse gas rollback now under White House review.
Why it matters
The administration’s climate deregulation agenda could face litigation risk if federal lawyers advance conflicting Clean Air Act theories before the Supreme Court.
Sources & driving stories
E&E NEWS BY POLITICO · Jean Chemnick
E&E News by POLITICO coverageIndia proposes relief for stranded renewables
Lexology reports that India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy proposed a one-time, time-bound relief package for about 44.8 GW of renewable projects with letters of award but unsigned power purchase agreements. The proposal includes an inter-state transmission charge waiver for projects completing PPAs or power sale agreements within three months, up to two hours of battery storage support for solar projects, connectivity flexibility, fast-track tariff adoption, and penalty-free exit options. MNRE has forwarded the proposal to the Ministry of Power for consideration.
Why it matters
Resolving stranded awards at this scale could materially affect India’s near-term renewable deployment and grid-planning pipeline.
Sources & driving stories
LEXOLOGY · Vishnu Sudarsan, Shashank Vikram Singh, Ravneet Singh Gill, Shiv Sankar, and Vignesh Ravichandran
Lexology coverageU.S. solar generation surpasses coal in May
The Nevada Independent reports that Ember, the Solar Energy Industries Association, and Wood Mackenzie found solar supplied 12.8% of U.S. electricity in May, ahead of coal at 12.2%. The milestone follows an April coal-generation low and makes solar the third-largest U.S. electricity source behind natural gas and nuclear. In Nevada, NV Energy’s latest integrated resource plan proposes PPAs for 4,550 MW of solar and more than 5,400 MW of paired battery storage.
Why it matters
The data point shows solar’s rapid rise moving from capacity additions into measurable displacement of coal generation.
Sources & driving stories
THE NEVADA INDEPENDENT · Not listed
The Nevada Independent coverageTHE EQUATION · John Rogers
The Equation coverageWorth noting
WORTH NOTING
GEF-9 funding package approved
FundsforNGOs reports representatives from 186 countries approved a $3.9 billion Global Environment Facility package for 2026–2030, with support for 144 developing countries and earmarks for least developed countries, small island states, Indigenous peoples, and local communities.
WORTH NOTING
New York floats nuclear subsidies
Cnyhomepage’s Johan Sheridan reports New York DPS and NYSERDA released an Advanced Nuclear Policy Options Paper targeting 5 GW of nuclear capacity by 2050, with estimated public costs of $15.4 billion to $23.9 billion over 40 years and public comment open until August 10.
WORTH NOTING
Drax shelves UK CCS plans
E&E News by POLITICO’s Nicholas Earl reports Drax has shelved carbon capture plans for its Yorkshire biomass plant, citing the regulatory environment, adding pressure to Britain’s nearly £22 billion CCS strategy.
Still unclear
OPEN QUESTION
Can Washington reconcile competing Clean Air Act theories?
The DOJ position in Suncor and EPA’s endangerment-finding repeal may collide as climate preemption, vehicle standards, and power plant rule rollbacks move into litigation.
OPEN QUESTION
Are clean-power bottlenecks shifting downstream?
India’s stranded awards, Nevada’s interconnection-heavy renewables plan, and reports of curtailment pressures elsewhere suggest contracts, transmission, and dispatch rules are becoming as consequential as generation capacity.