What’s new
On July 7, President Trump signed an executive order that does two things:
Directs the Treasury to tighten the “begin-construction” safe-harbor rules and accelerate foreign-entity (FEOC) guidance within 45 days, instead of the December 2026 deadline set in the new budget law.
Directs the Department of the Interior to review whether any policies “favor” wind or solar on public lands.
Both agencies are required to report their findings to the President within 45 days.
Why it matters
Trump issued the order to cement a deal with House Freedom Caucus members who demanded deeper executive action against “green subsidies” in exchange for their votes on the budget bill.
The order, titled “Ending Market-Distorting Subsidies for Unreliable, Foreign-Controlled Energy Sources,” targets 48E and 45Y, wind and solar credits the Senate placed on an accelerated phase-out.
“We believe the administration is aligned with us on terminating those Green New Scam subsidies. We believe we’re going to get 90-plus percent of all future projects terminated,” said Republican House member Chip Roy.
What it changes
Utility-scale projects counting on the 5 % spend or physical-work test for safe harbor now face new, faster-arriving hurdles that could void their tax-credit eligibility. Developers must navigate complex foreign-ownership and supply-chain rules nearly two years sooner than planned.
Analysts warn the change could revert rules to the House’s stricter “begin and finish” standard, jeopardizing hundreds of projects and up to $500 billion in planned clean-energy investment.
The full text of the Executive Order is linked below.
Solar Is Now EU’s No. 1 Power Source
What’s new
Last month, solar produced the largest share of electricity in the European Union, supplying 22% of the grid and narrowly surpassing nuclear.
At least 13 member states set monthly solar records:
The Netherlands hit 40%
Greece 35%
France, Italy, Portugal, and eight others posted new highs as well.
Coal’s share sank to an all-time low 6%. Ten EU countries used zero coal in June; overall coal generation has dropped 31 % year-over-year in EU member countries.
Why it matters
Solar supplied just 1% of EU renewable power in 2008. Exponential year-over-year growth has given EU members a much more resilient, less carbon-producing power grid. Analysts say repurposing 1.2 million hectares of retired coal sites could power a nation the size of Germany.
Record solar output cushioned early-summer demand spikes during record heat waves across the EU.
With renewables already covering the sunny daytime peak, experts call for massive battery storage, smarter grids, and demand-side tools to push fossil generation out of dawn-and-dusk hours.
7.2-MW Solar Array Now Powers Half of Port Newark Terminal
What’s new
Standard Solar just completed a 7.2-MW solar installation at the 320-acre Port Newark Container Terminal. The project combines 3.8 MW of canopy-mounted arrays over active truck lanes with 3.4 MW of rooftop and parking-lot systems.
Why it matters
The array was built without interrupting the day-to-day operations of the terminal.
The system supplies about 50% of the terminal’s annual electricity and can send excess power to the local grid.
Standard Solar will own, operate, and maintain the array.
New Jersey backed the 7.2-MW solar project at Port Newark Container Terminal to advance several policy goals at once:
Cutting emissions from one of the state’s busiest freight hubs
Strengthening grid resilience in Newark
Meeting statewide clean-energy targets.
State and local officials view the project as a practical demonstration that renewable energy can operate seamlessly within heavy-traffic, space-constrained logistics sites.
Sources:
Trump issues executive order instructing Treasury to tighten safe harbor rules
Trump seeks tighter restrictions on wind and solar with executive order | Utility Dive
Standard Solar builds 7.2-MW solar project at active New Jersey shipping port
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