Senate Approves TVA Nominees

The U.S. Senate confirmed four Trump nominees to the Tennessee Valley Board of Directors. Senators voted 53-47 to confirm Mitch Graves, Jeff Hagood, Randall Jones and Arthur Graham. The nominations came after Trump removed Biden appointees to the board after taking office, leaving it without enough members for a quorum to hold votes. Lee Beaman, another Trump appointee, was removed from the nomination process and would have to receive a new nomination to be considered.

More: Tennessee Lookout

DOE Inspector General to Probe Canceled Climate Grants

The Energy Department’s inspector general’s office says it will probe a Trump administration move to cancel nearly $8 billion in climate and energy funding that primarily impacted blue states.

“The Office of Inspector General recently announced an audit which will review the Department of Energy’s processes when cancelling financial assistance and whether those cancellations were in accordance with established criteria,” Nelson wrote in a letter. Taking up the probe does not necessarily mean the cancellation was improper.

Earlier in 2025, the DOE canceled awards to 223 projects worth about $7.6 billion. Some of the largest cancellations affected funding for hydrogen hubs in California and the Pacific Northwest.

More: The Hill

NRC Extends TVA Nuclear Plant

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved another 20-year extension for the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant in Alabama. The extension will allow the three reactors to operate until their 80th birthdays in the mid-2050s. Their licenses were set to expire in 2033, 2034 and 2036. The plant can produce nearly 4 GW.

More: Chattanooga Times Free Press

BLM Advances Libra Solar Project

The Bureau of Land Management approved changes to the Libra Solar Project in Nevada, marking the first time the agency has advanced a solar project since July. The $2.3 billion project is among the largest in the U.S., adding 700 MW of solar and 700 MW of battery storage. Groundbreaking is scheduled for early 2026, with commercial operations planned by the end of 2027.

More: pv magazine

Mexico Greenlights 20 Renewable Projects

Private companies will invest $4.75 billion to build 20 renewable energy projects across 11 Mexican states, Energy Minister Luz Elena González said. González said the projects, 15 of which are solar and five wind, will add 3,320 MW of generation capacity and 1,488 MW of storage capacity.

More: Mexico News Daily