Good morning and happy Friday,

This week, President-elect Donald Trump rocked the energy world, posting to Truth Social that “Any person or company investing ONE BILLION DOLLARS, OR MORE, in the United States of America, will receive fully expedited approvals and permits, including, but in no way limited to, all Environmental approvals,” adding “GET READY TO ROCK!!!”

Well, it turns out that energy storage already *is* rockin’ in Texas – according to a new report from ACP, it’s saved Texans at least $750M in electricity costs since 2023.

That’s good to hear, because The EIA’s latest Short Term Energy Outlook predicts power consumption in the U.S. will reach new record highs in 2024 and 2025. For its part, Grid Strategies forecasts that U.S. electricity demand will increase 15.8% by 2029.

In other news, additional tariffs were announced this week on Chinese polysilicon and wafers; and in a juxtaposition illustrative of our times, while E2 finds that five large-scale clean energy projects representing $1.6 billion in investment and 1,700+ new jobs were announced in November, a town in Virginia voted to disband nine years after its coal plant closed.

Read on for more.

To paraphrase a recent headline from Heatmap News, it’s been a big week for data centers and renewables, with nearly $30 billion in planned investments announced. Here’s what’s happening:

• On Tuesday, Google and Intersect Power announced a $20 billion “strategic partnership” to co-locate renewables and storage with planned data centers. Google says it will disclose the location of its first project soon; it expects the first phase to be “operational in 2026, and fully complete in 2027.” 
• On Wednesday, Acadia Infrastructure Partners said it is spearheading a $9 billion initiative to develop renewable energy projects across the U.S. Its newly launched Climate and Communities Investment Coalition (CCIC) has technology giant Microsoft as an anchor member. 
• An Acadia executive says CCIC expects to help build around 5 GW of renewable power over five years, noting that “The CCIC's reason for being is to accelerate corporate-led renewable energy financing with real tangible benefits to local communities."

Positive, but not a panacea. Acadia says that in addition to helping companies meet environmental targets, the projects it funds will deliver other benefits, like “supporting access to clean energy at reduced prices for low- and middle-income households, hiring local people, and supporting contractors with diverse ownership.” For its part, while enthusiastic about the potential of co-location, Google has warned that “it is not a substitute for the broader infrastructure investment needed to support expected load growth.”  

It’s mid-December, which means lawmakers in our nation’s capital are in a mad dash to get all their legislative work finished before current funding expires on the 20th. Will permitting reform make it across the finish line? One potential vehicle was the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, which passed the House Wednesday, but permitting reform wasn’t included. So what’s next? It depends who you ask – here are a few viewpoints:

• Staff for Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Joe Manchin (I-WV) and House Natural Resources Chair Bruce Westerman (R-AR) say their phones are “ringing off the hook” as the two offices try to maintain momentum for Manchin’s “Energy Permitting Reform Act,” whilst accommodating changes to NEPA sought by Westerman.
• The two chairs are also “working on a package of outstanding public land and natural resources bills,” they “just gotta find the proper place” for them, per Senator Manchin.
• These efforts may be quixotic, as at least one top Democrat is “balking” at attempts to overhaul NEPA. Tom Carper (D-DE) is retiring; as Chair of the Environment and Public Works committee, he “wants environmental protection to be central to his legacy,” and says demands from House Republicans to retool NEPA “are a bridge or two too far.”

Getting to yes (or no) faster. Few dispute that permitting reform is sorely needed; the issue isn’t the what, it’s the how. Noting that “Permitting reform is really important if we are serious about our climate goals,” Martin Heinrich (D-NM) said “I think we should all keep our eye on the fact that we need to get to yes or no faster.” With just a week to go, a lot is still up in the air.

• Not Fake News: Bad information Is breaking the energy transition   
• Nuance: Electric co-ops want Republicans to preserve clean energy credits 
• Surprise: ALEC passes resolution supporting solar for farmers 
• Wild Card: Trump wants agencies on a short leash. What does that mean for FERC?
• Threatened: Feds float ESA protections for monarch butterfly 
• Guthrie Gets the Gavel: Rep. Brett Guthrie wins race to lead powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee 
• Cold is Hot: Massive data centers consuming large amounts of energy have eyes on South Dakota 
• Sounds Familiar: As data centers proliferate, conflict with local communities follows 
• Making the Case: The AI paradox: energy-hungry technology could speed clean energy transition
• Stack ‘em Up: Energy Vault partners with data center developer on deployment of new hyperscale battery energy storage system
• Over the Rooftops: In Michigan and Wisconsin, cities are finding rooftops alone may not achieve solar energy goals 
• Stop the Sprawl: Some rural Nevadans want Trump to stop the state’s solar energy boom and Inside Nevada’s solar energy revolt 
• Domestic Partners: Nextracker delivers its first 100% domestic solar trackers and Enphase rolls out new microinverters with bonus tax credits in mind  
• Peachy: REPORT: Recent projects in Georgia push clean energy jobs over 82,000 as sector adds jobs 4x faster than GA economy 
• COLLABORATE: U.S. offshore wind development would get major boost in newly proposed legislation
• “Wind Theft”: Global power giants quietly battle over six European offshore projects 
• A Yen for Clean Energy: BP, Japan’s JERA to create offshore wind JV 

• IA: Supervisors eye renewable energy ordinance proposal
• ID: BLM issues final approval of scaled-down Lava Ridge wind project and BLM approves Lava Ridge; Idaho legislators still hope Trump kills it 
• IL: Commission to consider permit for solar development near Mahomet
• KY: Public meeting held for Clover Creek Solar Project
• MA: Nantucket fights air quality permit for Southcoast Wind
• MA: Aquinnah tribe supports Revolution Wind lawsuit
• MA: Vineyard Wind defeats fishing groups in federal appeals court 
• NE: Proposed Lancaster County solar farm sparks opposition, vote delayed
• NY: Connecticut company planning new Lewiston solar farm in former landfill
• OH: Fulton commissioners approve legislation concerning another solar project
• OR: State approves largest solar farm on 10,000 acres of farmland
• OR: Oregon greenlights one of the largest solar and storage projects in the US
• PA: Centre County officials back proposal for 90% solar energy use amid zoning hurdles
• RI: Neighbors fight solar farm plan in high court
• TX: Goliad County approves two solar farm tax abatements
• WA: Three lawsuits filed over massive Tri-Cities wind/solar project

Why are the folks with the shovels smiling, you ask? Because the Philippines just broke ground on what will be the world’s largest solar + storage plant, with 3.5 GW of solar and 4.5 GWh of energy storage capacity.

The Meralco Terra Solar Project is expected to achieve commercial operation in two phases, with the first scheduled for February 2026 and the second for February 2027.

Philippines President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. spoke at the groundbreaking event, saying the project will position the Philippines as a leader in renewable energy and “calling on government agencies and private sector partners to ensure the timely completion of the project and replicate similar efforts in renewable energy project initiatives nationwide.”

Noting that its construction is expected to create over 10,000 jobs, he said the PhP200 billion (US$3.4 billion) investment will generate nearly PhP23 billion (US$0.4 billion) in financial benefits over the next decade.

The massive project will span 3,500 hectares (about 13.5 square miles). Once fully operational, it will generate enough clean energy to power more than 2 million homes. The avoided emissions equate to around 4.3 million metric tons of CO2 annually, which is like taking 3 million gasoline-powered cars off the road.