** The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to end Energy Star, a program whose iconic blue labels have certified the energy efficiency of home appliances for more than three decades, as part of its broader reorganization, two sources briefed on the reorganization told Reuters.
** House Speaker Mike Johnson says the $7,500 federal EV tax credit will “more likely than not” be killed in budget negotiations.
** Tesla launched a cheaper version of its Model Y vehicle in the United States on Tuesday. The new long range rear-wheel drive version costs about $44,990, before a $7,500 federal tax credit, the electric vehicle maker’s website showed. Including the tax credit, the new vehicle will cost $37,490.
** The vice chair of the National Transportation Safety Board has been abruptly removed from his position, the White House confirmed Tuesday, a rare move that comes as the federal agency charged with investigating aviation disasters juggles more than 1,000 cases.
** A new national study conducted by the energy services startup Arbor shows that a majority of Americans say they can’t rein in their bills because utility rates are outside their control.
** President Trump signs an executive order directing the U.S. Justice Department to investigate state policies that limit fossil fuel use to reduce climate change, prompting criticism and pushback from California Democrats who see the order as an attack.
** Rivian still plans to begin construction of a Georgia factory next year despite its likely exposure to cost increases from Trump’s tariffs, particularly via its use of battery cells from South Korea.
World
** One of the UK’s largest oil and gas producers has been forced to cut 250 jobs in Aberdeen, blaming the Government’s windfall taxes for making the Britain’s energy industry unprofitable. Harbour Energy, which operates in the North Sea, said a review of its operations would lead to the loss of 250 onshore roles – equal to 25pc of its workforce.
** Fusion energy startup Focused recently signed a deal that will lead to a new power plant in Germany, according to Reuters. The agreement includes the central German state of Hesse, energy conglomerate RWE, and support for the newly elected conservative federal government.
** Discounts on electric vehicles (EVs) in Germany rose in April, with the average markdown reaching 16.7%, up 1.8 percentage points from March, according to leading expert Ferdinand Dudenhöffer. Since January, EV discounts have increased by three percentage points.
** An offshore wind farm intended to power 2.6m British homes has been halted by its developer in a major setback to Ed Miliband’s net zero ambitions. Ørsted said it has pulled the plug on the 2.4-gigawatt Hornsea 4 project off the east of England as it blamed rising costs and interest rates.