Two embattled U.S. offshore wind projects are pushing forward despite sustained opposition from the…

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

• Offshore Wind Projects Advance Despite Trump Opposition: Two major U.S. offshore wind developments have reached significant milestones, defying the administration's hostile posture toward the sector and demonstrating the durability of state-level demand for clean energy. Read More: Wind Power Monthly.
• Maryland Legislators Push Solar and Storage Bill: New legislation introduced in Annapolis would accelerate solar PV and battery storage deployment statewide, adding momentum to Mid-Atlantic clean energy efforts. Read More: PV Tech.
• Solar Module Prices Forecast to Rise Through 2027: Intertek CEA projects climbing U.S. solar module costs driven by Section 232 tariffs and trade uncertainty, even as domestic manufacturing capacity hits 45 GW annually. Read More: PV Magazine USA.
• Quebec Hydropower Line Set to Energize NYC: A 339-mile buried transmission line from Quebec to Queens is poised to begin delivering clean hydroelectric power to roughly one million New York City homes this spring. Read More: New York Times.
• Ohio Report Targets Data Center Grid Strain: A new policy analysis urges Ohio lawmakers to end tax breaks for data centers and require them to build their own power generation, citing massive grid burdens subsidized by ratepayers. Read More: Ohio Capital Journal.

Solar & Storage

The economics of utility-scale solar in America are entering a complicated new chapter. A projects that U.S. solar module prices will continue climbing through 2027, driven largely by Section 232 tariffs and layered import duties on solar materials. The analysis arrives at an awkward moment: domestic module manufacturing has ramped to an impressive 45 GW of annual capacity, but developers are still grappling with whether that output — and its price point — can fully offset the cost pressures imposed by trade policy. For project developers already managing tight margins, rising module costs threaten to slow deployment even as demand from utilities, corporates, and data centers remains voracious. Read More: new forecast from Intertek CEA.

Against that backdrop, Maryland is moving to bolster its own clean energy pipeline. targets accelerated deployment of both solar PV and battery storage across the state. While details of the bill's specific MW targets and incentive structures are still emerging, the measure reflects a broader pattern of Mid-Atlantic states stepping up their clean energy ambitions at a time when federal policy signals remain mixed. Maryland joins a growing roster of states using legislative action to create market certainty that Washington has been unable — or unwilling — to provide. Read More: New legislation introduced in Annapolis.

The energy storage sector, meanwhile, is attracting major new entrants. South Korean battery giant , shifting its strategic focus away from electric vehicles, according to Bloomberg. The move signals that global battery manufacturers increasingly view grid-scale storage as a more reliable growth market than the volatile EV sector. For American developers, SK On's entry could eventually help diversify supply chains and ease procurement constraints — though the tariff environment will determine just how competitive imported battery systems can be. Read More: SK On is pivoting toward the U.S. energy storage market.

Wind Energy

The resilience of U.S. offshore wind is being tested in real time, and so far the sector is refusing to buckle. despite the Trump administration's continued hostility toward ocean-based wind development. The progress underscores a critical dynamic in American energy politics: while the federal government controls leasing and permitting on the outer continental shelf, state-level procurement mandates and offtake agreements provide financial foundations that are difficult to unwind through executive action alone. Developers appear to be betting that state demand — particularly from Northeast governors who have staked political capital on offshore wind — will outlast the current administration's opposition. Read More: Two major offshore wind projects have achieved significant milestones.

The projects' advancement also comes amid intensifying geopolitical pressures that are reshaping the global energy security calculus. The ongoing Iran crisis has prompted the UK to , with British officials declaring there is "not a moment to waste." The UN climate chief has similarly , framing the conflict as yet another argument for accelerating the energy transition. Whether that geopolitical urgency translates into policy shifts in Washington remains to be seen — the Trump administration has shown little appetite for linking energy security arguments to renewable buildout. Read More: accelerate its renewable energy auction to July, called for a faster exit from fossil fuel dependence.

Policy & Markets

The collision between surging electricity demand and strained grid infrastructure is fast becoming one of the defining policy fights of 2026. In Ohio, a urges state lawmakers to eliminate tax breaks for data centers and require developers to build their own power generation rather than loading demand onto the public grid. The report highlights a growing mismatch: data centers are consuming enormous amounts of electricity while taxpayers absorb the costs of grid upgrades and generation capacity additions through their utility bills. The recommendations, if adopted, could reshape how data center developers approach site selection and power procurement across the Midwest — and set a precedent other states are watching closely. Read More: new report from Innovation Ohio.

That tension between demand growth and consumer costs is already showing up on household electricity bills. A found that investor-owned electric utilities increased their profit margins to 15 cents per dollar collected in 2025, even as household bills have soared. Utilities collectively earned nearly $186 billion in profits between 2021 and 2024. The findings are fueling populist anger from both sides of the aisle and adding political pressure on state public utility commissions to scrutinize rate cases more aggressively — a dynamic that could complicate utility-led clean energy investments. Read More: new analysis from the Energy and Policy Institute.

Meanwhile, the nation's EV charging buildout continues to struggle with execution. A highlights persistent problems with the NEVI fast-charging program, which has been plagued by slow deployment despite billions in federal funding. The piece argues that bureaucratic bottlenecks and program design flaws are preventing charging stations from being built at the pace needed to support growing EV adoption. The challenges raise broader questions about whether federal infrastructure programs can move at the speed the energy transition demands. Read More: CleanTechnica analysis.

On a brighter note for New York, the from Quebec to Queens is on track to begin delivering hydroelectric power this spring. The buried line will supply clean electricity to approximately one million New York City homes, representing one of the most significant clean energy infrastructure projects to come online in the Northeast in years. The project demonstrates that large-scale transmission — long considered the bottleneck of the energy transition — can be built when political will, regulatory coordination, and financing align. Read More: 339-mile Champlain Hudson Power Express transmission line.

LOOKING AHEAD

• Maryland Solar-Storage Bill Markup: Watch for committee hearings and markup sessions on the newly introduced Maryland legislation, which could establish significant new deployment targets for solar PV and battery storage in the Mid-Atlantic.
• Tariff Impact on Solar Pipeline: With Intertek CEA forecasting rising module prices through 2027, expect developers to accelerate procurement decisions and lock in supply contracts before costs climb further — potentially front-loading project announcements in Q2.
• Ohio Data Center Policy Debate: The Innovation Ohio report could catalyze legislative action in Columbus, with implications for data center siting decisions and behind-the-meter generation requirements nationwide.

THE BOTTOM LINE: From offshore wind defying federal opposition to states confronting data center grid strain and rising solar costs, today's news makes clear that the American clean energy transition is increasingly being driven — and stress-tested — by state-level policy, trade dynamics, and raw electricity demand rather than any coherent federal strategy.