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Court Strikes Down Trump Order to Keep an Aging Coal-Burning Plant Running

The 64-year-old Michigan power plant was set to retire. Then the Trump administration intervened in a way that overstepped its authority, a court ruled.

Β© JuliΓ‘n Trejo Bax/Associated Press

The J.H. Campbell coal plant in West Olive, Mich.
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The Iran War Is Pushing Global Coal Use to Record Highs

Five years after virtually every world leader agreed to β€œphase down” the burning of coal for climate reasons, the fuel is more widely used than ever.

Β© Ahmad Mulia Panjaitan/Associated Press

Coal barges in East Kalimantan, Indonesia, last month.
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U.S. to Lend $1.9 Billion to Restart a Shuttered Nuclear Plant in Iowa

No company in the United States has ever restarted a reactor that was seemingly closed for good, but there are now three major efforts underway to do so.

Β© Nick Rohlman/The Gazette, via Associated Press

The Duane Arnold Energy Center near Palo, Iowa, in January 2025.
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Trump Administration to Pay RWE to Cancel Wind Leases

It was the fifth such deal struck by the administration to get companies to drop offshore wind projects.

Β© Joshua A. Bickel/Associated Press

The deal on Wednesday follows agreements to refund wind leases off California, Maine, New Jersey, New York and North Carolina.
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Trump Issues Tariffs on Key Ingredient for Electronics and Solar Panels

The administration will impose a minimum import price for polysilicon, a key component for semiconductors and solar panels, as well as tariffs for products made with the material.

Β© Christian Monterrosa for The New York Times

A worker inspected solar panels at a factory in Dalton, Ga., in 2023.
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Federal Judge Orders Pentagon to Lift Freeze on Wind Power

Since April, the Defense Department has halted all military reviews for wind projects, stalling dozens of projects nationwide.

Β© Nick Oxford/Reuters

Turbines near Throckmorton, Texas. Defense Department reviews are meant to ensure that wind farms do not interfere with radar or flight paths.
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Trump Administration Is Repurposing Federal Land for A.I. Data Centers

In the latest example, the Energy Department will convert a shuttered Cold War-era uranium enrichment facility into a data center campus and gas plants.

Β© Kenny Holston/The New York Times

President Trump and Energy Secretary Chris Wright during a White House event last week in which 200 companies vowed to prevent A.I. data centers from driving up power costs.
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The U.S. Is Pulling Back on Energy Efficiency

The Trump administration is undoing fuel-saving efforts even as war in Iran, data centers and heat waves are pushing up gasoline and electricity costs.

Β© Michael Hickey/Getty Images

A dishwasher at a General Electric plant in Louisville, Ky. The Energy Department has moved to repeal 17 standards for dishwashers, washing machines, kitchen appliances and more.
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U.S. to Overhaul Radiation Safety Rules to Spur Nuclear Expansion

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission plans to end longstanding guidance that radiation exposure be β€œas low as reasonably achievable.”

Β© Audra Melton for The New York Times

The proposed rule changes could make it cheaper and easier to build and operate new nuclear power plants in the United States.
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Gregg Phillips Leaving FEMA

Gregg Phillips was in charge of the emergency response agency’s largest division and had come under scrutiny for a series of bizarre claims.

Β© Al Drago/Getty Images

Gregg Phillips was appointed to lead FEMA’s Office of Response and Recovery, with 1,000 employees and a budget of nearly $300 million.
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Energy Dept. Promises $17.5 Billion in Loans for Nuclear Power

The federal government wants to help utilities buy large components for up to 10 large nuclear reactors. It’s unclear which, if any, companies might participate.

Β© Kendrick Brinson for The New York Times

The Vogtle nuclear power plant in Georgia is the only one with AP1000 reactors in the U.S. They generate enough electricity to power 1 million homes, but they took 15 years to build and cost $35 billion, double the initial estimates.
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Trump Administration to Pay $765 Million to Cancel 4 More Wind Projects

It’s the third such deal the Interior Department has struck to pay firms to abandon plans for offshore turbines, spending roughly $2.5 billion to get companies to abandon their wind projects.

Β© Joshua A. Bickel/Associated Press

The Trump administration has now struck deals energy developers totaling more than $2.5 billion to cancel offshore wind leases.
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