The energy sector is in flux as federal spending freezes ripple through utilities, major manufacturers double down on domestic production, and geopolitical shifts threaten power security in Europe. This edition of GridBrief covers the DOE’s funding freeze, GE Vernova’s expansion, and the fight over electric vehicle charging infrastructure—along with the bets worth making and the ones history warns us against.

Utilities Await Clarity on DOE Loans as Court Battle Looms

The Biden administration’s Department of Energy Loan Programs Office (LPO) announced nearly $23 billion in conditional loan commitments in its final days, aimed at utility-scale generation, transmission, and grid modernization projects across 12 states. But those commitments are now in limbo as the Trump administration’s federal spending freeze takes hold. The administration has temporarily halted nearly all discretionary federal spending, including loans supporting wind, solar, and storage projects. While the White House insists that the pause is a necessary audit to prevent waste and fraud, utilities and investors face deep uncertainty.

Among the projects affected is PacifiCorp’s $3.5 billion grid expansion plan, which aimed to add 700 miles of new high-voltage transmission lines across the West, and Consumers Energy’s $5.2 billion initiative to replace legacy natural gas infrastructure in Michigan. Utility executives say they are waiting for further clarification but acknowledge that prolonged uncertainty could delay investments, increase financing costs, and disrupt grid reliability planning. Analysts warn that if the funding pause extends into litigation, it could reshape how utilities finance major infrastructure projects for years to come.

GE Vernova to Invest Nearly $600M in U.S. Factories

GE Vernova is making a major push to expand its U.S. manufacturing footprint, announcing nearly $600 million in new investments across gas power, grid solutions, nuclear, and onshore wind. The company will create over 1,500 new jobs as it scales up production in key facilities, including a $160 million expansion in Greenville, South Carolina, focused on hydrogen-capable turbines. Other major investments include $50 million in nuclear fuel production in North Carolina and $100 million in an advanced research center in New York dedicated to AI-driven energy solutions.

This move signals a shift in the energy manufacturing landscape as companies position themselves for long-term demand growth. GE Vernova’s investment in grid infrastructure and nuclear components aligns with rising industrial energy needs, particularly as data centers and AI-driven industries consume more electricity. Meanwhile, its continued investment in wind manufacturing contrasts with industry trends—last year, the company cut back on offshore wind, but it appears committed to strengthening its domestic onshore production.

Federal Government Suspends $5B EV Charging Network Initiative

The Trump administration has halted the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, a $5 billion initiative designed to fund a national network of fast-charging stations. While most of the program’s funds have already been allocated to state transportation departments, the Department of Transportation has now frozen any new approvals. This decision introduces significant uncertainty for private companies that had planned to build charging networks using federal subsidies.

EV charging infrastructure has been plagued by reliability and utilization issues, with many stations underperforming due to limited demand and slow adoption rates. While state DOTs still hold the funds they were awarded, legal analysts suggest that ongoing litigation could determine whether NEVI continues as planned or faces deeper cuts. If states move forward independently, private-sector charging companies could find themselves in a tough position—stranded without federal support in a still-developing EV market.

Upgrade to Grid Brief Premium to get extra deep dives into energy issues all over the world.

Conversation Starters

• CNN: Three NATO members still rely on Russia to manage their electricity grid. They’re about to pull the plug.
  The Baltic states are set to disconnect from Russia’s power grid, marking a major shift in energy independence—but not without security concerns.

• The Hill: Opinion: An Electricity Interstate for the United States
  Experts propose a national high-voltage DC transmission network to better distribute cheap electricity from wind, solar, and natural gas fields across the country.

• Financial Times: Europe’s undersea infrastructure keeps getting damaged. What’s going on?
  A series of unexplained disruptions to critical undersea cables has raised fears about sabotage and vulnerabilities in Europe’s energy network.

Good Bet, Bad Bet

Good Bet: Short Blink Charging (BLNK)
With the federal government halting new approvals for the NEVI program, private-sector EV charging firms like Blink Charging face serious headwinds. The company has long relied on government-backed incentives to expand, but with federal funding frozen and demand for public chargers still inconsistent, its financial outlook is shaky. Shorting Blink may be a smart move if the EV charging rollout continues to falter.

Bad Bet: Balmer on the iPhone
“There is no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share.” – Steve Ballmer, 2007
What does this have to do with energy? A lot. Legacy industries often underestimate emerging technologies, just as oil and gas executives dismissed renewables in the 2000s. Many bet that wind and solar would never be cost-competitive, missing out on a trillion-dollar industry. The same mistake could be happening today with small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs), which are often dismissed as too expensive—until one company proves otherwise.

Share Grid Brief

We rely on word of mouth to grow. If you're enjoying this, don't forget to forward Grid Brief to your friends and ask them to subscribe!