Energy Transition in Motion (Week of May 30, 2025)

The U.S. is acting on plans to accelerate geothermal energy projects, implementing emergency permitting procedures to fast-track reviews to help fulfill President Donald Trump’s energy dominance agenda.

The Department of Interior announced the move May 30 and named three proposed geothermal projects by Ormat Nevada that will be fast-tracked: the Diamond Flat geothermal project near Fallon, McGinness Hills geothermal optimization project in Lander County and the Pinto geothermal project near Denio.

The Bureau of Land Management will determine whether the projects can move forward after completing environmental assessments within 14 days.

“Geothermal energy is a reliable energy source that can power critical infrastructure for national security and help advance energy independence,” said Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. “By cutting red tape and advancing President Trump’s American Energy Dominance agenda, we’re fast-tracking reliable energy projects while strengthening national security and supporting American workers.”

Geothermal energy pulls heat from below ground using wells drilled into hot reservoirs. Conventional geothermal captures heat closer to the surface from naturally occurring fractures and fluid such as in volcanic areas. Next-generation geothermal energy, however, uses existing oil and gas technologies to harness heat and unlock geothermal energy from anywhere.

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Heat extracted can be used to heat or cool homes and buildings via direct use heat or generate electricity with higher temperature geothermal resources. Geothermal is also a source of baseload power—meaning it consistently produces electricity—regardless of weather conditions. And, geothermal has a smaller footprint compared to other renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.

Geothermal developments have been slowed by long permitting times like other energy projects in addition to transmission access and capital costs.

Trump declared a national energy emergency when he returned to the White House in January, saying energy and critical minerals identification, leasing, development, production, transportation, refining and generation capacity in the U.S. were too inadequate to meet the nation’s needs.

The declaration enabled the use of emergency procedures for the National Environmental Policy Act, National Historic Preservation Act and the Endangered Species Act to help accelerate development of domestic energy resources and critical minerals. Targeted energy resources included geothermal and kinetic hydropower as well as oil, natural gas, lease condensates, NGL, biofuels, uranium, coal and critical minerals, among others.

Here’s a roundup of some other renewable energy news.

Biofuels

White House Considers Plan to Clear Record Backlog of Small Refinery Biofuel Waivers

(Reuters) The White House is weighing a plan to clear a record backlog of requests from small refineries for exemptions from U.S. biofuel laws, which could include approving many current applications and requesting industry input to deal with older ones, according to three sources familiar with the plans.

The U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard requires refiners to blend biofuels like corn-based ethanol into the nation’s fuel supply or buy renewable fuel credits, known as RINs, from those who do. Small refiners can petition the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to receive an exemption if they can show financial hardship. There are more than 160 outstanding requests for exemptions that represent potentially billions of dollars’ worth of tradeable credits.

A decision from U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration to clear the backlog would have consequences for the oil and agricultural industries, and impact the price of commodities from gasoline and renewable diesel to soybeans and corn, along with the companies that produce them. In the past, widespread exemptions have sent credit prices lower, along with prices for soybeans and ethanol.

The White House is considering granting many of the 19 requests for exemptions from 2024, and issuing a rule seeking input on how to deal with the others, some of which date back to 2016, the sources said. The Trump administration sees approving some requests and delaying others as less of a shock to the multi-billion-dollar credit market than deciding on all of them at once, the sources said.

The White House would also likely force larger refiners to make up for the exempted gallons in a process known as reallocation, but the details are still being worked out, the sources said. No final decision on a path forward has been made and details could change as industries step up engagement with the administration, the sources said.

The White House declined to comment.

Molly Vaseliou, an EPA spokesperson, said there have been multiple reports about how the administration plans to tackle the exemptions, with different conclusions. She said news reports were "rumors" from people trying to influence the biofuel credit market. She did not confirm or deny the details reported by Reuters.

Energy storage

Arkansas Approves Royalty Rate for Smackover Lithium Project

The Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission has approved its first royalty rate for lithium from brine extraction, according to a news release.

Standard Lithium on May 29 said a 2.5% royalty rate for the Reynolds Unit for Phase I of the South West Arkansas (SWA) project in Lafayette and Columbia counties in Arkansas was approved. The project is being developed by Smackover Lithium, the joint venture company of Standard Lithium and Equinor.

The lithium royalty will be paid to brine owners in addition to a brine fee of $65.05 per acre per year, Standard said in the news release. The royalty and fee make the total proposed royalty compensation approximately 3% based on current lithium prices.

“Establishing a fair and equitable royalty will allow brine owners to be compensated while encouraging economic development of the state’s significant lithium resource,” Standard Lithium CEO David Park said.

Allison Kennedy Thurmond, vice president of US Lithium at Equinor, added, “The royalty rate is only the beginning of capital investment and moves us one step closer to our final investment decision.”

The Reynolds unit is expected to have a production capacity of 2,500 tonnes per year of battery-quality lithium carbonate when full commercial production begins in 2028.

Singapore Taps TotalEnergies, RGE JV for Renewable Power, Subsea Link

Singa Renewables, the joint venture of TotalEnegies and RGE, has been granted permission by authorities in Singapore to import 1 gigawatt (GW) of power from Indonesia and develop a subsea interconnector to import the electricity to Singapore.

In a May 30 news release, TotalEnergies said the JV was awarded a conditional license to import renewable power from Singapore’s Energy Market Authority. The partners also signed a memorandum of understanding for the subsea interconnector with Singapore Energy Interconnections.

The agreements followed news earlier this week of the companies’ plans to build a solar farm with a battery energy storage system and a subsea cable in Riau Province, Indonesia.

“The project will contribute to Singapore’s goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2050, while supporting Riau Province’s economic development in Indonesia,” said Helle Kristoffersen, president Asia and executive committee member at TotalEnergies. “This initiative also illustrates TotalEnergies’ commitment to ASEAN’s energy transition and security of supply.”

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Hydrogen

Weitz Lands EPC Gig for eFuels Project in Texas

Electrolyzer manufacturer Electric Hydrogen on May 28 said it picked The Weitz Co. as the engineering, procurement and construction partner for the installation of its 100-megawatt (MW) HYPRPlant at the eFuels facility Infinium is building in Texas.

Located in Reeves County, Texas, the Project Roadrunner eFuels facility will produce synthetic aviation fuel, diesel and naphtha by converting waste CO₂ and renewable energy. Electric Hydrogen’s HYPRPlant, an electrolysis system, will be used to produce electrolytic hydrogen as part of the project. The company said its system is built mostly in Texas and shipped as modular skids.

“This is a defining moment for our company and the renewable hydrogen sector,” said Josh Stewart, vice president of deployment at Electric Hydrogen. “Working with Weitz, we’re demonstrating that American-made electrolyzer systems can deliver at industrial scale, on time and on budget at significantly lower total cost than competing solutions.”

Project Roadrunner is expected to be the world’s largest eFuels facility. Operations are scheduled to begin in 2027.

Thyssenkrupp Nucera, Fraunhofer IKTS Open Pilot Production Plant in Germany

Electrolyzer manufacturer Thyssenkrupp Nucera and technology company Fraunhofer IKTS have opened a solid oxide electrolysis cell pilot production plant for electrolysis in Germany, according to a May 27 news release.

Located in Arnstadt, Thuringia, the pilot plant will initially produce stacks in small quantities, but intentions are to grow production capacity to 8 MW per year, the release states.

The technology is based on an “oxygen-conducting ceramic electrolyte substrate with two electrodes, which are assembled together with coupling elements, the chromium-iron (CF) interconnectors, on several layers to form the stack,” Thyssenkrupp Nucera said. It enables high corrosion resistance, optimized thermal cycle performance and high long-term stability with regard to temperature cycling.

"The outstanding properties of SOEC technology have prompted us to work with our strategic partner Fraunhofer IKTS to develop high-temperature electrolysis to market maturity,” said Thyssenkrupp Nucera CEO Werner Ponikwar. “We are convinced of the advantages of this electrolysis technology for the production of green hydrogen. It will play a central role in a new, climate-friendly energy mix.”

Sinopec Sets Up $690MM Hydrogen-focused Venture Capital Fund

(Reuters) China’s state oil and gas major Sinopec has established a venture capital fund focused on hydrogen energy, with an initial size of 5 billion yuan (US$690 million), the company said in a statement May 29.

The fund, the largest in China dedicated to investment across the hydrogen value chain, will target early-stage investments and incubation of key materials, core equipment and proprietary technologies with high growth potential.

The fund is managed by Sinopec Private Equity Fund Management Co, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sinopec Capital Co. External partners include Shandong New Growth Drivers Fund Management Co. and Yantai Guofeng Investment Holding Group Co.

Sinopec has also taken equity stakes in 13 companies involved in the hydrogen energy industry chain and has built 11 hydrogen supply centers for fuel cells and 144 hydrogen refueling stations across China.

Solar

Arena Renewables Sells Illinois Solar Portfolio to Summit Ridge Energy

Commercial solar developer Summit Ridge Energy has grown its solar portfolio in the Midwest by 40 MW with the acquisition of assets from Arena Renewables.

Arena on May 28 said it completed the sale of six Illinois remote crediting solar projects. The portfolio sale marked the first for Arena since it was founded in July 2023.

“This acquisition aligns perfectly with [Summit Ridge’s] strategy to lead the commercial solar market while supporting investment in the economic development of the U.S.,” said Garren Bischoff, senior vice president for business development of Summit Ridge Energy.

Together, the projects are expected to produce enough energy to power more than 5,000 homes annually when commercial operations begin over the next year, Arena said in a news release. The company said the projects, which are located in the Ameren Illinois territory, are ready for construction.

“The team is thrilled for this portfolio to commence construction after 18 months of diligence and development with local partners,” said Arena Renewables CEO Matthew Kozey. “We’ll be excited when they start generating energy for use across Illinois.”

DuPont Achieves 100% Renewable Electricity Across Its EU Operations

Chemical company DuPont on May 27 said all grid electricity for its EU operations is powered by renewable energy sources.

The milestone was reached with the purchase of renewable energy certificates and the installation of on-site solar panels, the company said in a news release. The achievement brings the Delaware-headquartered company closer to its goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The company has also said it aims to reduce its Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions 50% by 2030 from the 2019 base year.

“At DuPont, we are guided by a core value of protecting the planet, aligning our sustainability goals to meet the expectations of our customers, value chain partners and the communities in which we operate,” said Alexa Dembek, chief technology and sustainability officer at DuPont. “Converting our European Union manufacturing sites to 100 percent renewable electricity is a significant step in our journey to further reduce our emissions, lower the carbon footprint of our products and put us on a clear path toward decarbonization in our operations by 2050.”

DuPont operates 13 manufacturing sites in the EU.

Meyer Burger Closes US Solar Panel Factory in Arizona

(Reuters) Solar panel maker Meyer Burger shut down a U.S. factory in Arizona due to financial troubles, cutting all 282 employees, the Swiss company said May 29.

The closure is a setback for solar industry efforts to build a domestic supply chain and reduce its reliance on China, the world’s top solar panel manufacturer.

Meyer Burger announced in 2021 it would build the Goodyear, Arizona, plant to capitalize on clean energy incentives introduced during the administration of former U.S. President Joe Biden, who equated fighting climate change with creating jobs and boosting domestic manufacturing.

A bill currently under consideration in Congress would end or phase out many of those incentives, a key campaign promise of President Donald Trump.

Meyer Burger’s operations in both Europe and the U.S. struggled to compete with cheaper products imported from Asia. Less than a year ago, it canceled plans for a second U.S. factory in Colorado.

The company said on May 29 it was in talks with a group of bondholders about restructuring, but that the future of the Goodyear site was uncertain.

The doors of the Goodyear facility were shut early on May 29 and the company put up a sign saying the facility was closed, according to two former employees.

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Wind

Italy’s Enel to Raise US Green Energy Capacity with Wind Farms Swap

(Reuters) Italy’s biggest utility Enel has signed a swap deal with U.S. Gulf Pacific Power covering some wind farm assets which will boost its net consolidated green capacity in the U.S. by 285 MW, it said May 26.

The deal is part of Enel’s strategy to up its generation capacity from renewable sources also through the acquisition of brownfield assets, which are projects already in operation.

Enel’s total net installed consolidated green capacity in the U.S. amounted to 11,620 MW in the first quarter of 2025.

Enel, through its subsidiary Enel Green Power North America, will pay GPP about $50 million, subject to an adjustment mechanism.

It did not specify the assets that will be included in the agreement. The deal, when completed, will boost the group’s ordinary EBITDA by approximately $50 million.

The transaction will increase its net financial debt by about $20 million.

Aker Solutions Lands Contract For Project Offshore Germany

Dragados Offshore has awarded Aker Solutions a contract to deliver the steel substructure for the 2-GW converter station for the BalWin2 offshore wind grid connection system in Germany, Aker said in a news release May 30.

The wind project is being developed by Amprion Offshore GmbH.

Aker’s work scope includes procurement, fabrication engineering and construction of the offshore HVDC converter platform substructure. Preparation will begin in first-quarter 2026, with construction scheduled to start in first-quarter 2027 and delivery in 2029.

“This [contract] will enable us to leverage our standardization and industrialization efforts to increase productivity and drive down costs,” said Sturla Magnus, executive vice president for Aker Solutions’ New Build segment.

Aker said it will fabricate the HVDC substructures at its yard in Verdal, Norway.

The contract is valued at between NOK 1.5 billion (US$147 million) and NOK 2.5 billion (US$245 million).

Hart Energy Staff and Reuters contributed to this report.