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Texas House Democrats urge Trump administration to restore $250M solar grant

solar grants

Houston U.S. representatives and others from Texas are pushing the Trump administration to reinstate a portion of the $7 billion Biden-era Solar for All program, which aimed to help low-income families reduce their energy costs.. Photo via Pixabay

Eight Democratic members of the U.S. House from Texas, including two from Houston, are calling on the Trump administration to restore a nearly $250 million solar energy grant for Texas that’s being slashed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

In a letter to Lee Zeldin, head of the EPA, and Russell Vought, director of the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the House members urged the two officials to reinstate the nearly $250 million grant, which was awarded to Texas under the $7 billion Biden-era Solar for All program. The Texas grant was designed to assist 28,000 low-income households in installing solar panels, aiming to reduce their energy bills.

“This administration has improperly withheld billions in congressionally appropriated funding that was intended to benefit everyday Americans,” the letter stated.

The letter claimed that numerous court rulings have determined the EPA cannot repeal already allocated funding.

“Congress made a commitment to families, small businesses, and communities across this country to lower their utility bills and reduce harmful pollution through investments in clean energy. The Solar for All program was part of that commitment, and the EPA’s actions to rescind this funding effectively undermine that congressional intent,” the House members wrote.

The six House members who signed the letter are:

  • U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia of Houston
  • U.S. Rep. Al Green of Houston
  • U.S. Rep. Greg Casar of Austin
  • U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas
  • U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Austin
  • U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson of Dallas
  • U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey of Fort Worth

The nearly $250 million grant was awarded last year to the Harris County-led Texas Solar for All Coalition.

In a post on the X social media platform, Zeldin said the recently passed “One Big Beautiful Bill” killed the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which would have financed the $7 billion Solar for All program.

“The bottom line is this: EPA no longer has the statutory authority to administer the program or the appropriated funds to keep this boondoggle alive,” Zeldin said.

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The Lone Star State is losing a nearly $250 million grant awarded last year to the Harris County-led Texas Solar for All Coalition. Photo via Getty Images.

EPA scraps $7B solar program, stripping Texas of hundreds of millions in clean energy funds

funding cut

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is ending a $7 billion Biden-era program that was supposed to enable low-income Americans to access affordable solar power. The program, which EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin called a “boondoggle,” would have benefited more than 900,000 U.S. households.

In line with the EPA’s action, the Lone Star State is losing a $249.7 million grant awarded last year to the Harris County-led Texas Solar for All Coalition. The grant money would have equipped more than 46,000 low-income and disadvantaged communities and households in Texas with residential solar power. The nonprofit Solar United Neighbors organization said Texas had already begun to roll out this initiative.

Also slipping out of Texas’ hands are:

  • A more than $156 million 19-state grant awarded to the Clean Energy Fund of Texas in partnership with the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice at Houston’s Texas Southern University. The Clean Energy Fund is a Houston-based “green bank” that backs investments in solar and wind power.
  • Part of a $249.3 million multistate grant awarded to the Community Power Coalition’s Powering America Together Program. The nonprofit Inclusive Prosperity Capital organization leads the coalition.
  • Part of a $249.8 million multistate grant awarded to the Solar Access for Nationwide Affordable Housing Program, led by the nonprofit GRID Alternatives organization.

In a post on the X social media platform, Zeldin said the recently passed “One Big Beautiful Bill” killed the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which would have financed the $7 billion Solar for All program.

“The bottom line is this: EPA no longer has the statutory authority to administer the program or the appropriated funds to keep this boondoggle alive,” Zeldin said.

Anya Schoolman, executive director of Washington, D.C.-based Solar United Neighbors, accused the EPA of illegally terminating the Solar for All program. She said ending the program “harms families struggling with rising energy costs and will cost us good local jobs.”

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, joined Schoolman in alleging the EPA’s “outrageous” action is illegal. Sanders introduced the legislation that established the Solar for All program.

The senator lashed out at President Trump for axing the program in order “to protect the obscene profits of his friends in the oil and gas industry.”

A new EO could streamline regulatory burdens for the development of data centers supporting AI. Getty Images

Energy experts: Executive order enhances federal permitting for AI data centers

Guest column

In an effort to accelerate the development of artificial intelligence, President Trump signed an executive order (EO) aimed at expediting the federal permitting process for data centers, particularly those supporting AI inference, training, simulation, or synthetic data generation.

Following the White House’s issuance of a broader AI Action Plan, the EO seeks to streamline regulatory burdens and utilize federal resources to encourage the development of data centers supporting AI, as well as the physical components and energy infrastructure needed to construct and provide power to these data centers.

Qualifying Projects

The EO directs several federal agencies to take actions to incentivize the development of “Qualifying Projects,” which the EO defines as “Data Centers” and “Covered Component Projects.” The EO defines “Data Center Projects” as facilities that require over 100 megawatts (MW) of new load dedicated to AI inference, training, simulation, or synthetic data generation. The EO defines Covered Component Projects as materials, products, and infrastructure that are required to build Data Center Projects or upon which Data Center Projects depend, including energy infrastructure projects like transmission lines and substations, dispatchable base load energy sources like natural gas, geothermal, and nuclear used principally to power Data Center Projects, and semiconductors and related equipment. For eligibility as a Qualifying Project, the project sponsor must commit at least $500 million in capital expenditures. Data Center Projects and Covered Component Projects may also meet the definition of Qualifying Project if they protect national security or are otherwise designated as Qualifying Projects by the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Interior, Secretary of Commerce, or Secretary of Energy.

Streamlining Permitting of Qualifying Projects

The EO outlines the following strategies aimed at improving the efficiency of environmental reviews and permitting for Qualifying Projects:

  • NEPA Applicability: The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), in coordination with relevant agencies, is directed to utilize existing and new categorical exclusions under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to cover actions related to Qualifying Projects, which “normally do not have a significant effect on the human environment.” The EO states that where federal financial assistance represents less than 50 percent of total project costs of a Qualifying Project, the Project shall be presumed not to be a “major Federal action” requiring NEPA review.
  • FAST-41: The Executive Director of the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (FPISC) is empowered to designate a Qualifying Project as a “transparency project” under the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST-41) and expedite its transition from a transparency project to a “covered project” under FAST-41. FPISC is directed to consider all available options to designate a Qualifying Project as a FAST-41 covered project, even where the Qualifying Project may not be eligible.
  • EPA Permitting: The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is directed to modify applicable regulations under several environmental protection statutes impacting the development of Qualifying Projects on federal and non-federal lands. EPA is also directed to develop guidance to expedite environmental reviews for identification and reuse of Brownfield and Superfund Sites suitable for Qualifying Projects. Importantly, state environmental permitting agencies are not subject to the EO.
  • Corps Permitting: The US Army Corps of Engineers is directed to review the nationwide permits issued under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 to determine whether an activity-specific nationwide permit is needed to facilitate the efficient permitting of activities related to Qualifying Projects.
  • Interior Permitting: The US Department of the Interior is directed to consult with the US Department of Commerce regarding the streamlining of Endangered Species Act consultations for Qualifying Projects, and to work with the US Department of Energy to identify federal lands that may be available for use by Qualifying Projects and offer appropriate authorizations to project sponsors.

Federal Incentives for Qualifying Projects

The EO also directs the US Secretary of Commerce to “launch an initiative to provide financial support for Qualifying Projects,” which may include loans, grants, tax incentives, and offtake agreements. The EO further directs all “relevant agencies” to identify and submit to the White House Office of Office of Science and Technology Policy any relevant existing financial support that can be used to assist Qualifying Projects, consistent with the protection of national security.

The EO reinforces the Trump administration’s focus on AI and creates new opportunities for both AI data center developers and energy infrastructure companies providing power or project components to these data centers. Proactive engagement with relevant agencies will be crucial for capitalizing on the opportunities created by this EO and the broader AI Action Plan. By leveraging these financial and environmental incentives, project developers may be able to shorten permitting timelines, reduce costs, and take advantage of federal financial support.

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Jason B. Hutt, Taylor M. Stuart and Anouk Nouet are lawyers at Bracewell. Hutt is chair of the firm’s environment, lands and resources department. Stuart counsels energy, infrastructure, and industrial clients on matters involving environmental and natural resources law and policy. Nouet advises clients on litigation, enforcement and project development matters with a focus on complex environmental and natural resources law and policy.

A forecast from Energy Innovation Policy & Technology shows that Texas is expected to see a decline in solar, wind and battery-powered storage by 2035 due to clean energy tax credit repeals in the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act.' Photo via Getty Images.

New forecast shows impact of 'Big Beautiful Bill' on Texas clean energy generation

energy forecast

Texas is expected to see a 77-gigawatt decrease in power generation capacity within the next 10 years under the federal "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," which President Trump recently signed into law, a new forecast shows.

Primarily due to the act’s repeal of some clean energy tax credits, a forecast, published by energy policy research organization Energy Innovation Policy & Technology, predicts that Texas is expected to experience a:

  • 54-gigawatt decline in capacity from solar power by 2035
  • 23-gigawatt decline in capacity from wind power by 2035
  • 3.1-gigawatt decline in capacity from battery-stored power by 2035
  • 2.5-gigawatt increase in capacity from natural gas by 2035

The legislation “will reduce additions of new, cost-effective electricity capacity in Texas, raising power prices for consumers and decreasing the state’s GDP and job growth in the coming years,” the forecast says.

The forecast also reports that the loss of sources of low-cost renewable energy and the resulting hike in natural gas prices could bump up electric bills in Texas. The forecast envisions a 23 percent to 54 percent hike in electric rates for residential, commercial and industrial customers in Texas.

Household energy bills are expected to increase by $220 per year by 2030 and by $480 per year by 2035, according to the forecast.

Energy Innovation Policy & Technology expects job growth and economic growth to also take a hit under the "Big Beautiful Bill."

The nonprofit organization foresees annual losses of $5.9 billion in Texas economic output (as measured by GDP) by 2030 and $10 billion by 2035. In tandem with the impact on GDP, Texas is projected to lose 42,000 jobs by 2030 and 94,000 jobs by 2035 due to the law’s provisions, according to the organization.

The White House believes the "Big Beautiful Bill" will promote, not harm, U.S. energy production. The law encourages the growth of traditional sources of power such as oil, natural gas, coal and hydropower.

“The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is a historic piece of legislation that will restore energy independence and make life more affordable for American families by reversing disastrous Biden-era policies that constricted domestic energy production,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a news release.

Promoters of renewable energy offer an opposing viewpoint.

“The bill makes steep cuts to solar energy and places new restrictions on energy tax credits that will slow the deployment of residential and utility-scale solar while undermining the growth of U.S. manufacturing,” says the Solar Energy Industries Association.

Jason Grumet, CEO of the American Clean Power Association, complained that the legislation limits energy production, boosts prices for U.S. businesses and families, and jeopardizes the reliability of the country’s power grid.

“Our economic and national security requires that we support all forms of American energy,” Grumet said in a statement. “It is time for the brawlers to get out of the way and let the builders get back to work.”

MP Materials gets a boost from Apple and Defense Department investments. Courtesy photo

America's only rare earth producer announces $500M agreement with Apple

Digging In

MP Materials, which runs the only American rare earths mine, announced a new $500 million agreement with tech giant Apple on Tuesday to produce more of the powerful magnets used in iPhones as well as other high-tech products like electric vehicles.

This news comes on the heels of last week’s announcement that the U.S. Defense Department agreed to invest $400 million in shares of the Las Vegas-based company. That will make the government the largest shareholder in MP Materials and help increase magnet production.

Despite their name, the 17 rare earth elements aren’t actually rare, but it’s hard to find them in a high enough concentration to make a mine worth the investment.

They are important ingredients in everything from smartphones and submarines to EVs and fighter jets, and it's those military applications that have made rare earths a key concern in ongoing U.S. trade talks. That's because China dominates the market and imposed new limits on exports after President Donald Trump announced his widespread tariffs. When shipments dried up, the two sides sat down in London.

The agreement with Apple will allow MP Materials to further expand its new factory in Texas to use recycled materials to produce the magnets that make iPhones vibrate. The company expects to start producing magnets for GM's electric vehicles later this year and this agreement will let it start producing magnets for Apple in 2027.

The Apple agreement represents a sliver of the company's pledge to invest $500 billion domestically during the Trump administration. And although the deal will provide a significant boost for MP Materials, the agreement with the Defense Department may be even more meaningful.

Neha Mukherjee, a rare earths analyst with Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, said in a research note that the Pentagon's 10-year promise to guarantee a minimum price for the key elements of neodymium and praseodymium will guarantee stable revenue for MP Minerals and protect it from potential price cuts by Chinese producers that are subsidized by their government.

“This is the kind of long-term commitment needed to reshape global rare earth supply chains," Mukherjee said.

Trump has made it a priority to try to reduce American reliance on China for rare earths. His administration is both helping MP Materials and trying to encourage the development of new mines that would take years to come to fruition. China has agreed to issue some permits for rare earth exports but not for military uses, and much uncertainty remains about their supply. The fear is that the trade war between the world’s two biggest economies could lead to a critical shortage of rare earth elements that could disrupt production of a variety of products. MP Materials can't satisfy all of the U.S. demand from its Mountain Pass mine in California’s Mojave Desert.

The deals by MP Materials come as Beijing and Washington have agreed to walk back on their non-tariff measures: China is to grant export permits for rare earth magnets to the U.S., and the U.S. is easing export controls on chip design software and jet engines. The truce is intended to ease tensions and prevent any catastrophic fall-off in bilateral relations, but is unlikely to address fundamental differences as both governments take steps to reduce dependency on each other.

The Department of Energy has axed federal funding for Houston-area clean energy projects from ExxonMobil, Calpine and Ørsted. Photo via exxonmobil.com

Houston-area clean energy projects lose more than $700M in federal funds

funding cut

The federal government has canceled more than $700 million in funding for three clean energy projects in the Houston area.

In all, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently wiped out $3.7 billion in funding for 24 carbon capture and decarbonization projects across the country.

Houston-area projects that took a hit are:

It’s unclear how the loss of federal funding will affect the three Houston-area projects.

All $3.7 billion from the DOE was awarded in 2024 and 2025 during the Biden administration—in some cases days before President Trump took office.

“While the previous administration failed to conduct a thorough financial review before signing away billions of taxpayer dollars, the Trump administration is doing our due diligence to ensure we are utilizing taxpayer dollars to strengthen our national security, bolster affordable, reliable energy sources, and advance projects that generate the highest possible return on investment,” U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in a release.

Advocates for clean energy sharply criticized the DOE’s action:

  • Jessie Stolark, executive director of the Carbon Capture Coalition, said cancellation of the 24 DOE-funded projects “is a major step backward in the nationwide deployment of carbon management technologies. It is hugely disappointing to see these projects canceled — projects that had already progressed through a rigorous, months-long review process by technical experts at DOE.”
  • Iliana Paul, deputy director for the Sierra Club’s industrial transformation campaign, complained that the Trump administration “killed dozens of major investments in American competitiveness, good jobs, and cleaner air to support Trump’s tax cuts and line the pockets of billionaires. These projects were not just pro-climate; they were pro-jobs, pro-innovation, and pro-public health. American workers, fenceline communities, and forward-thinking companies have had the rug pulled out from under them.”
  • Conrad Schneider, senior U.S. director of the Clean Air Taskforce, said the DOE’s move “is bad for U.S. competitiveness in the global market and also directly contradictory to the administration’s stated goals of supporting energy production and environmental innovation. Canceling cutting-edge technology demonstrations, including support for carbon capture and storage projects, undercuts U.S. competitiveness at a time when there is a growing global market for cleaner industrial products and technologies.”
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Greentown Labs partners with California software developer on new center

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Greentown Labs has partnered with Los Angeles-based software development firm Nominal to launch the new Industrial Center of Excellence at Greentown's Houston incubator.

Nominal will provide access to its connected test and operations stack to help engineers working at Greentown Houston startups boost their "efficiency, automation, and scalability," according to a news release. The news comes just a few days after Greentown announced a partnership with Houston-based EnergyTech Nexus, which will also open an investor lounge on-site.

"Our mission is to remove friction for innovative entrepreneurs, so they can rapidly scale their transformative solutions," Lawson Gow, Greentown's Head of Houston, said in the release. "The Industrial Center of Excellence with Nominal will complement Greentown's robust prototyping, equipment, and lab offerings to accelerate entrepreneurs' ability to bring disruptive technologies out of the lab and into the world."

According to Greentown and Nominal, the partnership will support startups that are focused on decarbonizing the manufacturing sector, which Greentown estimates represents about a third of startups in its Houston incubator.

The new center will host specialized workshops and Nominal will now offer weekly office hours for Greentown startups.

"The future belongs to teams who can deliver resilient hardware faster than anyone else," Bryce Strauss, co-founder of Nominal, added in the statement. "Competitive edge is defined by test velocity. Nominal is building a connected stack of software tools where every discipline works shoulder-to-shoulder to make confident, real-time decisions."

Nominal, which supports engineering work in the aerospace, energy, automotive and defense industries, closed a $75 million series B round this summer.

CPS Energy invests $1.4B in Houston hydrogen-ready power plants

CPS Energy, which services San Antonio, has agreed to acquire four state-of-the-art natural gas power generation facilities in the Houston area from Missouri-based PROENERGY for $1.387 billion, according to a release.

The recently constructed plants have an aggregate electric capacity of 1,632 megawatts and are located in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) markets in Harris, Brazoria and Galveston counties. The assets are dual-fuel capable, which would allow CPS Energy to transition to a hydrogen fuel blend and reduce carbon emissions.

CPS president and CEO Rudy Garza said that the acquisition presents a lower cost and lower supply chain risk alternative to building new power facilities while providing reliable, affordable and cleaner energy.

“We are getting the best of both worlds by securing new infrastructure without delay while also strengthening the power supply for our community,” Garza said in a news release. “This acquisition secures reliable capacity today – at a lower cost – and is a win for the customers of CPS Energy, the city of San Antonio and all the communities we serve by meeting their long-term energy needs. As we add resources to meet the needs of our fast-growing communities, we will continue to look to a diverse balance of energy sources that complement our portfolio, including natural gas, solar, wind, and storage, keeping our community powered and growing.”

PROENERGY will continue to staff, operate, and maintain the plants.

“By acquiring recently constructed, currently operating modern power plants that utilize proven technology already in use by CPS Energy, we avoid higher construction costs, inflationary risk, and long timelines associated with building new facilities – while also enhancing the reliability and affordability of the CPS Energy generation portfolio,” Garza added in the release.

CPS Energy is one of the nation’s largest public power, natural gas, and electric companies with 950,000 electric and 389,000 natural gas customers in the San Antonio area and surrounding counties.

Expert: How technology is transforming energy education and powering young minds

Guest Column

In today’s ever-changing digital world, the way we teach kids about science is rapidly transforming. Energy education, specifically, is expanding and contributing to the STEM landscape significantly. Helping children understand where energy comes from, how we use it in our everyday lives and how it affects our planet is critical to sparking early interest in STEM learning and inspiring potential careers in the energy industry.

Thanks to new technology and the power of artificial intelligence, we are better equipped to explain these complex ideas in fun, interactive and easy-to-understand ways.

The Role of Educational Technology in Classrooms

Traditional teaching methods can struggle to connect scientific concepts to students’ everyday experiences. A 2023 study found that technology not only makes learning more engaging and enjoyable but also encourages students to invest more effort in their studies over time.

Tools like tablets, smartboards, interactive simulations and gamified learning apps allow students to visualize energy systems, conduct virtual experiments and explore dynamic models that demonstrate how energy flows through different systems.

For example, virtual labs allow students to simulate the installation of solar panels or observe how wind turbines convert kinetic energy into electricity, all without leaving the classroom. These digital tools transform abstract theories into concrete, hands-on experiences, making it easier for students to understand and retain core principles of energy science.

Gamified learning has also become increasingly popular in K–12 classrooms because it engages students by meeting them where they are through interactive, game-like experiences. By incorporating familiar motivators such as points, levels, rewards and challenges, it taps into the same engagement techniques students encounter in video games and apps outside the classroom.

In an era when competition for students’ attention is higher than ever, more educators are turning to gamification because it works; it transforms passive learning into an active, student-centered experience, helping learners stay focused and motivated.

When applied to energy education, gamification can be especially powerful. Educational games that task students with managing a virtual city, designing energy-efficient systems or balancing an energy budget help build valuable real-world skills like problem-solving and systems thinking. Most importantly, they keep students engaged and make learning about energy meaningful.

Equity and Access in Educational Technology

While technology and AI offer immense potential to transform energy education, it is crucial to address the digital divide that exists across different schools and communities. Not all students have equal access to the devices, software or reliable internet connectivity needed to benefit from these innovative learning tools.

Bridging this gap requires collaborative efforts through public-private partnerships, targeted grants and community-driven educational outreach programs. These initiatives play a vital role in ensuring that every student, regardless of socioeconomic background or geographic location, has the opportunity to engage with tech-driven energy education.

Organizations like the Energy Education Foundation are taking meaningful steps in this direction. This fall, the nonprofit is launching EnergyXP, an innovative, mobile STEM learning experience designed for middle school students. The program offers 16 interactive, hands-on, and digital activities aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards, and is provided free of charge to participating schools. Through EnergyXP, students explore diverse energy concepts while building curiosity, collaboration and critical thinking skills. The program links classroom learning to real-world applications, helping students see the role of energy in their daily lives and sparking interest in STEM careers.

Other promising initiatives such as community tech hubs, low connectivity learning platforms, school-device loan programs and subsidized broadband options also support increased access to digital education. In Harris County, the Commissioners Court recently voted unanimously to create the Harris County Broadband Task Force with the aim of expanding internet access and affordability and addressing the growing digital literacy demands in the region. Additionally, Compudopt, a partner of the Energy Education Foundation, is another valuable resource for the Houston-area community. Its programs work to eliminate barriers to computer access, build technical and digital literacy skills, offer no- or low-cost high-speed internet options and support the long-term success of youth and their communities.

By supporting programs and organizations that decrease the digital divide, we can ensure that all students have access to engaging, technology-driven energy education. Providing young learners with the tools to explore, innovate and connect with the energy systems that power their world is key to building a more diverse, inclusive energy workforce for the future.

AI is Transforming the Energy Landscape

Students who utilize technology and AI in the classroom will be better equipped for the energy jobs of the future. As the energy sector continues to evolve, AI is becoming an essential tool for addressing complex challenges from optimizing energy production and distribution to accelerating innovation and improving system reliability.

By exposing students to AI-driven learning experiences early on, we can help them build the skills needed to understand and contribute to emerging technologies such as smart grids, predictive maintenance, renewable energy forecasting and energy storage optimization. These technologies are already shaping the future of how we produce, store and consume energy.

Through hands-on engagement with AI-powered simulations, data analysis tools and problem-solving scenarios, students are learning how to lead in a tech-driven, sustainable energy future.

As the world transitions toward more technology-driven energy systems, the importance of early, engaging and equitable energy education has never been more critical. Through the integration of technology, gamified learning and AI in the classroom, we can make science more accessible and empower students with the knowledge and skills they need to shape the future. Programs like EnergyXP demonstrate how innovation in education can bridge opportunity gaps, spark curiosity and lay the groundwork for a more inclusive and forward-thinking energy workforce. The investments we make in today’s classrooms will determine the energy leaders of tomorrow.

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Kristen Barley is the executive director of the Energy Education Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to inspiring the next generation of energy leaders by providing comprehensive, engaging education that spans the entire energy spectrum.


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