What happened: The EPA said it’s scrapping a requirement for existing coal and new natural gas plants to cut or sequester 90% of their carbon emissions by 2032 (using tech like carbon capture). The 2024 rule recently sparked criticism from electric co-ops facing mounting power demand.

Plus: The agency is also looking to strip its own power to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from generators, a shift that would affect future administrations.

The impacts: The EPA said repealing the Biden-era rule would save the energy industry more than $300B (which would trickle down to utility customers). But the rule was predicted to prevent 1.2K premature deaths in 2035 alone, and rack up $120B in health benefits through 2047.

What’s next: The move is certain to face legal challenges—Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council said they’re planning to take the Trump administration to court.

🎁 What’s in it: The package would 1) extend $10/month residential bill credits from two to four years 2) increase low-income financial assistance by $100M through 2038 and 3) ensure that customers “will not pay one cent” for the merger.

Plus, a generation and jobs boost: The companies also promised to help  “accelerate” VA’s generation buildout. 

The main message: “Dominion Energy Virginia will remain locally led, separately regulated and accountable to the State Corporation Commission,” Robert Blue, CEO of Dominion Energy, wrote in a statement. 

✅ Yes in Texas: PUC officials approved a 765-kV line that would carry electrons nearly 400 miles to the Permian Basin, where the booming oil & gas industry says it needs more power. The commission had a condition: They directed CPS Energy and AEP Texas to address residents’ concerns with the route.

⛔ No in West Virginia: State PSC staff have opposed the 500-kV Mid-Atlantic Resiliency Link project, which would run through parts of PA, WV, MD, and VA. Why? NextEra “erroneously stated” that AEP customer rates would not be affected, according to the commission. 

The gameplan: Utilities should navigate the clean power transition like a carefully planned series of football plays, said Mousa, the founder of Electric Bridge Consulting. What to avoid: a risky sprint to the end zone.

The score, according to Mousa: Most US utilities have made it roughly 30 yards toward the end zone, he told us, while some pioneering orgs are approaching 60 yards. 

His advice for utilities: To keep advancing on the (metaphorical) field, it’ll take more collaboration between utility pros, developers, customers, and government officials.

The details: This projection arrives as demand swells around the globe and the Iran War nudges countries toward domestic energy production. Worldwide nuclear capacity (around 377 GW in late 2025) could hit 696 GW-1.3 TW by 2060, with particularly high growth expected in Central and Eastern Asia.

Small reactors, big ambition: By 2060, SMRs are predicted to contribute up to 28% of all new global capacity (in North America, their share could reach 60%).

The optimism: This marks the sixth year a row that the IAEA has upped its nuclear expansion predictions. This “reflects growing recognition of the role that nuclear power can play in supporting energy security and long term economic growth,” the agency noted in the report.

UL has debuted a certification program for V2G tech. Why? To “build confidence that these vehicle-to-grid systems can provide critical electric utility performance while operating safely and reliably.”

Why it matters: With UL’s rubber stamp, trendy industry tech—including plug-in solar—gets serious street cred, enabling it to catch on throughout the US (and around the world).