Good morning and happy Friday,

The “whiplash whirlwind” continues as President Trump’s on-again, off-again tariffs rattle investors and disrupt international trade. As we reported last week, electricity prices continue to surge in many states, a situation tariffs on Canadian electricity would certainly exacerbate.

But tariffs aren’t the only threat – two new reports indicate that repealing the IRA tax credits would also drive up electricity prices, a sentiment echoed by utility representatives who went to bat for the IRA at a House hearing this week.

Meanwhile, E&ENews has answers to three big questions about how the dismantling of NEPA could impact your company’s projects.

And, if the past several weeks have you wondering where to turn for ideas on how to get bipartisan traction on renewables at the state level, look no further than this week’s ‘Last Byte,’ which profiles a new Bantam whitepaper on strategies for building the clean energy coalitions of tomorrow.

Read on for more.

This week, ACP released a sneak preview of its upcoming Clean Power Annual Market Report. The Snapshot of Clean Power in 2024 finds that “the clean energy industry shattered records in 2024, deploying an unprecedented 49 GW of capacity – a remarkable 33% increase over the previous record of 37 GW set in 2023.” Here are some additional deets:

• The U.S. now has 313 GW of grid-connected clean energy capacity – enough to power 75 million homes – and an additional 175 GW under development. Red states saw some of the fastest growth, with Mississippi, Louisiana, and Kentucky increasing operational capacity by more than 200% year-over-year. 
• 93% of new energy capacity that came online in 2024 was clean energy – exceeding the previous five-year average of 75% – and for the first time, U.S. solar capacity is now greater than nuclear capacity.
• In 2024, 46 U.S. primary component manufacturing projects came online across 20 states to meet the needs of the utility-scale wind, solar, and storage supply chains. 

Speed Dial Set to Warp: With deployment timelines shrinking from decades to years, the industry is breaking the sound barrier of energy transitions. Highlighting the rapid growth of the sector, ACP’s report notes that “It took more than 20 years for the U.S. to install the first 100 GW of clean power, five years to install the next 100 GW, and three years to install the most recent 100 GW.” This comes on the heels of EIA’s latest report, which found that renewables produced 24.2% of U.S. electricity in 2024. The Lone Star State topped the charts, leading clean energy generation by a country mile.

A recent essay in the WSJ outlines why the clean energy revolution is unstoppable, providing a bevy of points you can draw on the next time you find yourself explaining the rationale for renewables:

• A central premise is that the cost trajectory of new technologies are predictable, and generally follow one of three patterns. The cost of fossil fuels is roughly the same as it was a century ago, adjusted for inflation; the same is true for large hydro and nuclear power.
• In contrast, “solar energy is 10,000 times cheaper today than when it was first used in the U.S.’s Vanguard satellite in 1958,” and by 2050, “solar energy will cost a tenth of what it does today, making it far cheaper than any other source of energy.”
• This is because clean energy technologies follow an S-curve, with slow growth initially due to high costs, exponential growth as costs fall, and flatter growth as saturation is achieved. Further, “the energy transition is a one way ticket,” because once consumers and companies have made a change to clean technologies, they’re unlikely to go back.

The Green Gold Rush has a Winner: And it's not wearing stars and stripes. In conclusion, the authors note that “For U.S. policymakers, supporting clean energy isn’t about climate change. It is about maintaining American economic leadership.” For its part, the Washington Post says this leadership has already been ceded to China, which “now eclipses every other country in the world – including the U.S. – in the green technologies of the future.” In 2024, China invested nearly $680 billion in clean tech manufacturing, “almost as much as the U.S. and the E.U. combined.”

• Playing With Power: Will Trump tariffs delay utility transmission, power plant plans? 
• Glut: Demand for renewable energy projects remains strong, but supply is growing
• Roadmap: New 100% American silicon solar panel supply chain announced
• Podcast: Why solar might be better off than you think 
• Not-so-Merry Maryland: Worcester County, Caroline County, and Queen Anne’s County are all urging farmers to exercise caution when it comes to solar
• Misplaced Blame: Solar is not the culprit for Maine’s high utility bills, despite claims
• Solar Coaster: Big solar installer teeters on the edge of bankruptcy 
• Captain Ahab: Trump fires NOAA scientists helping whales and offshore wind coexist 
• Gone With the Wind? Economists react to Trump’s ‘no windmills’ promise
• An Ill Wind: Arizona lawmakers could block wind projects on 90% of land in state
• Out With the Old: Alabama Power to build state’s first utility-scale battery storage system on retired power plant site
• Planning Ahead: Illinois lawmakers propose 15 GW energy storage target by 2035
• Wake Effect: California moves to impose more control over BESS in wake of Moss Landing fire
• Critical Mass: Inside the Nuclear Capital of America 

• AZ: City of Somerton discussed proposals for solar projects in Yuma
• CA: EEC to review 400 MW Saavi Imperial Power Battery Storage System
• CO: Kit Carson approves pre-construction application for Singing Grass Wind Project
• CT: Sharon Energy Commission to discuss solar and battery projects
• IL: Public hearing set to discuss zoning ordinance amendment regarding solar 
• KS: Shawnee County to discuss solar energy conversion system regulations
• ME: Durham Board reviews zoning amendments for BESS
• MA: Uxbridge Planning Board proposes new regulations for solar and BESS
• NY: Big Flats Planning Board to review solar ordinance updates
• ND: Public Hearing scheduled for solar energy system regulations in Burleigh
• OH: OPSB staff recommend rejecting Open Road Renewables’ Grange Solar 
• SD: 68-turbine, $621 million Deuel Harvest Wind Energy South project approved
• TX: Bandera County officials clarify position on Rio Lago Solar project
• VA: Rockbridge County to hold solar ordinance review meeting
• WI: NextEra submits engineering plan for its Fox Solar Project

President Trump’s inauguration on January 20 unleashed a whirlwind of disruptive policies, many of which target the clean energy industry. While the significant uncertainty at the federal level is highly problematic, it should also serve as a catalyst to focus attention on states.

Being a clean energy developer in the U.S. means contending with vexing contradictions: among Republicans and Democrats alike, polls show strong support for renewables and the economic development projects deliver, and indeed, the vast majority of investment resulting from the IRA is directed at red districts.

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Nevertheless, opposition campaigns – largely driven by misinformation – are stymieing if not outright stalling wind, solar, and energy storage projects across the country.

Bridging this gap calls for building bipartisan state-level coalitions to help shape community and legislative consensus around clean energy. This means rolling up our sleeves and creating coordinated, effective ground operations focused on state legislatures.

Our new whitepaper, State-Level Strategies for Bipartisan Renewable Policy, lays out basic principles for accomplishing this, and identifies states with the highest potential. Check it out, and contact us to discuss how the Bantam team can help you develop and execute state-level engagement strategies that leverage these emerging opportunities.