** U.S. and Chinese officials said they had agreed on a framework to put their trade truce back on track and remove China’s export restrictions on rare earths while offering little sign of a durable resolution to longstanding trade differences.
** A new lawsuit filed against Subaru and Toyota claims that the two automakers’ jointly developed electric vehicles, the Solterra and bZ4X, suffers from an issue that causes the 12-volt battery used for accessories to repeatedly fail, with the plaintiff filing the suit claiming his vehicle has gone through multiple batteries in 5000 miles.
** The Solar Energy Industries Association warns the threatened Republican rollback of clean energy tax credits would result in the loss of 3,300 existing and potential jobs in Kentucky as the state struggles to grow its solar and battery manufacturing.
** New England is likely to see little demand for large-scale data centers in the next 10 years, in part because of the region’s high electricity prices, but smaller projects are possible, industry experts say.
** Battery storage has grown so much the Texas state grid operator projects a less than 1% chance it will have to implement rolling blackouts during peak August heat this year, but it warns the proposed rollback of clean energy tax credits could damage its ability to keep up with demand.
** A hydrogen company has fallen behind on its plans to build a Louisiana facility as projected costs have swelled from $4.5 billion to more than $8 billion, offering a snapshot of how low-carbon hydrogen has fallen by the wayside as Trump champions oil and gas instead.
** Panasonic’s $4 billion electric-vehicle battery plant in Kansas, which is projected to bring 4,000 new jobs to a community of 6,500, drives an influx of new housing developments to meet anticipated demand.
** Amazon announces plans to spend $20 billion on two data center complexes in Pennsylvania, including one adjacent to a nuclear power plant from which it will draw electricity — the largest private sector investment in the state’s history.
** Amazon has started operating its first electric truck fleet in Kentucky, according to Spectrum News 1.
** General Motors has released key sales highlights for its vehicles through May 2025, with the biggest piece of news being that Chevrolet has surpassed Ford to become the number two EV brand in the United States.
World
** A wind farm off the coast of France has brought the country closer than ever to large-scale clean energy use. Upon completion of this wind farm, Ocean Winds is expected to provide almost 800,000 French residents with clean, renewable energy.
** Canada is leading the Group of Seven in developing new nuclear energy technology with the construction of the first of four small modular reactors in Ontario, the Associated Press reported.
** Slovakia will not back the EU’s 18th package of sanctions against Russia unless the European Commission provides a solution to the situation the country faces if the bloc phases out Russian energy as planned, Prime Minister Robert Fico said.