But Todd Sims from the National Electrical Manufacturers Association told Maydeen that if building codes are weakened, it could raise utility costs for homeowners and place more pressure on the grid. 

“The energy code is really the only assorted code that provides a benefit back in terms of energy savings, utility savings,” Sims said.

Sims, the senior director of regulatory and industry affairs at NEMA, said the electric grid can also benefit from more energy efficient codes that could help to lower electricity demand. 

“There are multiple benefits, none of which were sort of enumerated in DOE’s announcement,” he said. 

The Department of Energy last month released a new analysis stating that the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code for buildings would add $14,000 to the cost of new homes and could increase residential construction costs by more than $9.2 billion annually compared to the 2006 code levels. 

Sims noted that the DOE analysis has historically served as a cost-benefit analysis, but this year the department has only tallied the costs without mentioning the overall benefits.

Once the federal building codes are determined, states adopt them and typically amend them to prioritize local needs, Sims said.

He added that states and localities typically rely on the DOE to provide “unbiased” analysis and data so they can make informed decisions. But now, “you’re going to have potentially conflicting or misaligned data. It’s just going to cause more confusion.” 

Learn more about DOE’s analysis here. 

DEMOCRATS BLAST BILL LIMITING INDEPENDENT REVIEWS OF NUCLEAR REACTORS:  

House Democrats are pushing back against a new bill advanced by Republicans that could limit independent reviews of new nuclear energy projects, such as the licensing for reactor designs that have never been built before. 

What’s the bill? The Nuclear Advisory Committee Reform Act advanced out of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s energy subcommittee this morning. It would primarily reform and reduce the scope of the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards, an independent review committee that has offered its insights, advice, and warnings to federal regulators on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission since 1954.

Under current law, ACRS is required to examine proposals for new reactors that are unique, novel, and noteworthy, including new commercial nuclear power plants and new reactor designs. The bill would remove this requirement, only allowing the committee to initiate these reviews once specifically requested by the NRC.

After clearing the subcommittee, the bill now heads to the full committee for further review and changes before it hits the House floor for a vote. 

The pushback: Democrats say they are concerned that making independent reviews subject to the federal regulator’s discretion will defeat the purpose of independent checks, particularly as President Donald Trump has moved to influence the NRC through firing a Democratic chairman and ordering an overhaul of the agency’s regulations.

“Right now, the United States is preparing to license a new generation of advanced reactors that have never been built before,” New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said. “They’ve never been operated at commercial scale, and their risks are not fully understood, and this is exactly when independent scrutiny matters the most.” 

Read more from Callie here. 

ALL THE REST:

NEW YORK BANS DATA CENTERS: New York became the first state in the country to ban the construction of data centers. 

Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order this morning to impose a one-year statewide moratorium on data centers that use 50 megawatts or more of energy. The moratorium is in response to growing concerns over data centers’ use of water and energy, as well as noise pollution. 

The executive order directs state regulators to create standards to address environmental impacts and usage of water and energy.

TRUMP CLAWBACKS HIT $83 BILLION IN CLEAN ENERGY PROJECTS: A report from the labor and environmental coalition BlueGreen Alliance found that 223 manufacturing, clean energy, and industrial projects have been canceled or stalled due to Trump administration policies, especially the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. 

The coalition said the delays or cancellations represent nearly $82.8 billion in investment, putting more than 110,000 jobs at risk. 

Read more by Maydeen here. 

ENERGY PRICES FELL IN JUNE, STILL MUCH HIGHER THAN LAST YEAR: Consumers saw relief in June as the cost of energy services such as gasoline, fuel oil and electricity all fell last month – though no one is out of the woods yet. 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released an update to its consumer price index today, reporting that inflation dropped by 0.4% in June. This is primarily due to a dip in energy prices, thanks to the increase of traffic through the key oil supply chokepoint of the Strait of Hormuz: 

• Gasoline fell by 9.7% month-over-month 
• Fuel oil dropped 9.2% month-over-month 
• And electricity declined 1% month-over-month.

It’s important to note that energy prices are still 15.7% higher than they were one year ago, and escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East threaten to push prices higher if the strait fails to see a steady flow of marine traffic. 

Find the full breakdown here. 

A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS FOR NUCLEAR: Over the last few months we’ve been covering all the various announcements on nuclear reactor development and investments being made from Big Tech. But how much new nuclear energy capacity could we see? 

The Breakthrough Institute released its own analysis this week on announced or prospective new nuclear reactor capacity in the U.S., estimating that there is 74 gigawatts of new capacity in development based on what’s been made public so far. For comparison, one gigawatt can power roughly 875,000 homes. 

Of this, around 30 gigawatts worth (around 41%) is backed by companies building data centers set to run AI operations. 

Key quote: “While it is unlikely that all of that capacity will ultimately be built, if even a fraction of it is deployed it would mark a historic turnaround for the US nuclear industry,” the analysis reads. 

GOOGLE BACKS MASSIVE SOLAR PROJECT: Big Tech is still showing interest in renewable energy alternatives, even as the Trump administration has attempted to stifle wind and solar growth and boost fossil fuels. 

Today’s announcement: Google announced today that it has signed an agreement with Cypress Creek Energy to build the largest solar energy project in the U.S. to date. The project is expected to be built in two phases, initially delivering 1.6 gigawatts of new solar generation and 1.9 gigawatt-hours of new battery storage. Once fully completed, this will expand to 2.5 gigawatts of solar and 2.9 gigawatt-hours of storage. The power will be pumped into the local grid in Arkansas, supporting consumers, new data centers, and other manufacturing facilities. 

The one thing to know: The deal is a virtual power purchase agreement, meaning Google will be paying for the electricity but not receiving any of the energy. This is intended to offset its other investments in fossil fuels such as natural gas that are being used to power its data centers, which need firm consistent power generation. 

ICYMI – TRUMP SHRINKS UTAH NATIONAL MONUMENTS: Trump reduced the size of two national monuments in Utah, which are considered sacred to Native Americans. 

The president issued a proclamation under the Antiquities Act to reduce the size of the Bears Ears National Monument from 1.36 million acres to 121,100 acres and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument from 1.87 million acres to 181,500 acres. 

Trump reduced the size of the national monuments during his first term, an action later reversed by former President Joe Biden. In addition, state officials have pushed for mineral development on the land, which contains uranium and coal deposits. 

RUNDOWN 

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