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The Biden administration is out with a new memo that anticipates getting to 40% solar energy in the US by 2035. That might not be in time to settle out this whole thing about catastrophic climate change, but it should put the nation on track to meet the President’s ambitious goal for decarbonizing the nation’s power generation profile. Of course, the devil is in the details, and the big question is whether or not certain elected officials will get with the planet-saving program.

Getting To 40% Solar Energy By 2035

The new memo comes from the US Department of Energy under the title, “Investing in a Clean Energy Future: Solar Energy Research, Deployment, and Workforce Priorities,” which hints at the problem. The impacts of catastrophic climate change are already nipping at the heels of the Earth, and it will take a swift, massive redirection of economic assets to turn the ship around.

The memo cautions that keeping the nation’s existing fleet of nuclear power plants afloat is a key piece of the puzzle, alongside wind power, carbon capture, and something called “clean” hydrogen, which is not necessarily the same as green hydrogen (more on that in a sec).

However, the memo underscores the critical importance of the solar energy factor.

“Solar is the fastest-growing source of new electricity generation in the nation – growing 4,000 percent over the past decade – and will play an important role in reaching the administration’s goals,” the Energy Department enthuses.

“Large-scale decarbonization of the electricity sector could move solar from 3 percent of generation today to over 40 percent by 2035,” they add.

And now, for the bad news. The Energy Department cites a yet-to-be published analysis by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, which calculates that “solar deployment would need to accelerate to three to four times faster than its current rate by 2030,” if the power sector is to be decarbonized by 2035.

“Meeting these goals will require billions in investment and market opportunities through 2050 across clean energy generation, energy storage, electricity delivery, and operations and maintenance – including in low-income and community solar,” the Energy Department explains.

If you caught that thing about “market opportunities,” that’s where state and federal legislation comes into play. Right now the US is a patchwork of solar-loving and solar un-loving jurisdictions. That will have to change if a swift energy transition is to be orchestrated.

Why 40% Solar Energy By 2035 Is Possible

Despite the challenges, the clean power transition is already inevitable. The massive drought in the western US has exposed the shortcomings of over-reliance on power generation technology that relies on water, including hydropower as well as coal, gas, and nuclear energy. The US grid needs to diversify as well as decarbonize while keeping a close eye on the energy-water nexus.

Solar energy is not necessarily a water-free technology, partly due to the need for keeping solar panels free of dust and debris. However, low-water and waterless cleaning technologies are already at hand.

The Energy Department also cites resiliency as a key factor favoring solar power:

“Solar deployed at scale, when combined with energy storage, can make America’s energy supply more resilient, particularly from power disruptions in the event of manmade and natural threats.  Smaller-scale solar, as part of microgrids or hybrid plants, can drive greater local self-sufficiency and  community-level resilience. Solar with storage solutions can already provide hours of backup power for individual buildings and, in the future, could provide days of backup power and even seasonal stored power. This storage option can help manage the grid, prevent outages, and even restart the grid after a power outage.”

Potholes On The Road To 40%

As for the details, the road to 40% solar energy by 20305 is not going to be a smooth ride.

For example, the memo advocates for continuing to provide tax credits for clean power investment and production, pointing out that they “have been successful tools in helping to expand solar and wind energy generation” by cutting the cost of investing in clean power.

Unfortunately, the production tax credit is set to die at the end of this year, and the investment tax credit will follow it to the grave shortly thereafter unless certain members of Congress (you know who you are) get their act together.

The memo also brings up the need for new electricity transmission lines to transmit all that new solar energy, which is a super duper touchy subject. Anybody remember Clean Line Energy? The company’s ambitious plans for a new network of clean power lines in the US fell to pieces after a few years due to local opposition and state-based legislative roadblocks.

On the plus side, some of those pieces are still clinging to life. Other signs of new transmission line activity have been springing up in recent years, though some of that is occurring in Texas, which has already sunk its hooks deep into new clean power transmission lines.

The Energy Department memo advocates for tax incentives for transmission projects as well as energy storage, but those pesky opponents could halt or delay projects for years to come.

The Once & Future Energy King Is The US

The memo is on more solid ground in the area of innovation and manufacturing, pointing out that “the solar industry has its roots in America, and a key part of lowering the costs of solar involves investing in technology innovation, manufacturing, and the solar supply chain.”

“U.S. research and development has helped lower manufacturing costs, increase efficiency and performance, and improve reliability of solar technologies,” they add.

US innovators are still driving the global market, even though the nation lost its pole position in the solar manufacturing race long ago. According to the Energy Department, its funding stream has supported almost half of worldwide solar cell efficiency records over the past 35 years, in addition to playing a key role in the global concentrating solar power industry.

Not specifically mentioned in the memo is the agency’s long term love affair with perovskite solar cell technology, but it does reference the related field of thin film solar as a means of re-domesticating the solar cell industry, which is important because that would avoid overseas labor issues as well as supply chain issues.

More Solar Power For Everybody

The memo also points out that the solar market in the US is far from saturated. Aside from the potential for growth in the field of luxury and market-rate housing, there is a vast untapped reservoir of potential growth in the low- and moderate-income areas.

“Low- and moderate- income Americans are less likely to adopt solar due to issues like lack of access to financing, which perpetuates energy inequalities and leads to lower overall levels of solar deployment,” DOE explains, adding that “Access to credit is a key barrier to solar adoption for low- and moderate-income households; almost 90 percent of 2018 solar adopters have either prime or super-prime credit scores.”

Addressing the root causes of structural racism in the US would help solve some of that problem, but in the meantime the Energy Department has been doing some of the heavy lifting by promoting the community solar model.

Community solar projects are designed to provide all ratepayers with access to affordable solar power, regardless of whether or not they rent or own property, or what their tax status is (looking at you, non-profits), and if their property can support its own solar panels.

The Energy Department began a concerted effort to promote community solar during the Obama administration. So far the effort has survived the Trump administration and the COVID-19 pandemic, but most of the activity is currently centered in just four states.

On the plus side, the memo notes that some activity is beginning to bubble up in 35 other states and the District of Columbia, indicating the potential for a renewed push. The memo explains that “green banks and other financing mechanisms that invest in community solar can help families and businesses gain access to zero-carbon solar” would help things along, hinting that state and federal legislators still need to get on board with the plan.

What About Green Hydrogen & Solar Energy?

As for “clean” hydrogen, don’t be fooled. Hydrogen is ubiquitous throughout the industrial economy, from fuel to fertilizer, pharmaceuticals, and processed foods. The problem is that almost the entire global supply of hydrogen comes from fossil natural gas, along with a smattering of coal, and no matter which way you turn it, hydrogen is not going away anytime soon.

Fossil energy stakeholders have proposed slapping carbon capture systems onto hydrogen production and calling it “clean,” which would be super funny except when you’re staring into the void of a massive global catastrophe.

The alternative would be to extract hydrogen from other sources, and that is already beginning to happen. For example, interest is coalescing around the use of offshore wind farms to generate electricity for electrolysis systems, which extract hydrogen from water.

A similar feat can be accomplished with onshore wind farms or solar arrays. The missing piece is political will, but keep an eye on that newly recharged bipartisan energy storage caucus in Congress for some movement in that direction.

Follow me on Twitter: @TinaMCasey.

Image (screenshot): Solar energy memo via US Department of Energy.

 

 
 

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Tesla launches new software update with Grok, but it doesnt even interface with the car

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Tesla launches new software update with Grok, but it doesnt even interface with the car

Tesla has launched a new software update for its vehicles that includes the anticipated integration of Grok, but it doesnt even interface with the car yet.

Earlier this week, CEO Elon Musk said that Tesla would integrate Grok, the large language model developed by his private company, xAI, into its vehicles.

Today, Tesla started pushing the update to the fleet, but there’s a significant caveat.

The automaker wrote in the release notes (2025.26):

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Grok (Beta) (US, AMD)

Grok now available directly in your Tesla

Requires Premium Connectivity or a WiFi connection

Grok is currently in Beta & does not issue commands to your car – existing voice commands remain unchanged.

First off, it is only available in vehicles in the US equipped with the AMD infotainment computer, which means cars produced since mid-2021.

But more importantly, Tesla says that it doesn’t send commands to the car under the current version. Therefore, it is simply like having Grok on your phone, but on the onboard computer instead.

Tesla showed an example:

There are a few other features in the 2025.26 software update, but they are not major.

For Tesla vehicles equipped with ambient lighting strips inside the car, the light strip can now sync to music:

Accent lights now respond to music & you can also choose to match the lights to the album’s color for a more immersive effect

Toybox > Light Sync

Here’s the new setting:

The audio setting can now be saved under multiple presets to match listening preferences for different people or circumstances:

The software update also includes the capacity to zoom or adjust the playback speed of the Dashcam Viewer.

Cybertruck also gets the updated Dashcam Viewer app with a grid view for easier access and review of recordings:

Tesla also updated the charging info in its navigation system to be able to search which locations require valet service or pay-to-park access.

Upon arrival, drivers will receive a notification with access codes, parking restrictions, level or floor information, and restroom availability:

Finally, there’s a new onboarding guide directly on the center display to help people who are experiencing a Tesla vehicle for the first time.

Electrek’s Take

Tesla is really playing catch-up here. Right now, this update is essentially nothing. If you already have Grok, it’s no more different than having it on your phone or through the vehicle’s browser, since it has no capacity to interact with any function inside the vehicle.

Most other automakers are integrating LLMs inside vehicles with the capacity to interact with the vehicle. In China, this is becoming standard even in entry-level cars.

In the Xiaomi YU7, the vehicle’s AI can not only interact with the car, but it also sees what the car sees through its camera, and it can tell you about what it sees:

Tesla is clearly far behind on that front as many automakers are integrating with other LLMs like ChatGPT and in-house LLMs, like Xiaomi’s.

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Robinhood is up 160% this year, but several obstacles are ahead

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Robinhood is up 160% this year, but several obstacles are ahead

Florida AG opens probe into Robinhood. Here's the latest

Robinhood stock hit an all-time high Friday as the financial services platform continued to rip higher this year, along with bitcoin and other crypto stocks.

Robinhood, up more than 160% in 2025, hit an intraday high above $101 before pulling back and closing slightly lower.

The reversal came after a Bloomberg report that JPMorgan plans to start charging fintechs for access to customer bank data, a move that could raise costs across the industry.

For fintech firms that rely on thin margins to offer free or low-cost services to customers, even slight disruptions to their cost structure can have major ripple effects. PayPal and Affirm both ended the day nearly 6% lower following the report.

Despite its stellar year, the online broker is facing several headwinds, with a regulatory probe in Florida, pushback over new staking fees and growing friction with one of the world’s most high-profile artificial intelligence companies.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier opened a formal investigation into Robinhood Crypto on Thursday, alleging the platform misled users by claiming to offer the lowest-cost crypto trading.

“Robinhood has long claimed to be the best bargain, but we believe those representations were deceptive,” Uthmeier said in a statement.

The probe centers on Robinhood’s use of payment for order flow — a common practice where market makers pay to execute trades — which the AG said can result in worse pricing for customers.

Robinhood Crypto General Counsel Lucas Moskowitz told CNBC its disclosures are “best-in-class” and that it delivers the lowest average cost.

“We disclose pricing information to customers during the lifecycle of a trade that clearly outlines the spread or the fees associated with the transaction, and the revenue Robinhood receives,” added Moskowitz.

Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev explains 'dual purpose' behind trading platform's new crypto offerings

Robinhood is also facing opposition to a new 25% cut of staking rewards for U.S. users, set to begin October 1. In Europe, the platform will take a smaller 15% cut.

Staking allows crypto holders to earn yield by locking up their tokens to help secure blockchain networks like ethereum, but platforms often take a percentage of those rewards as commission.

Robinhood’s 25% cut puts it in line with Coinbase, which charges between 25.25% and 35% depending on the token. The cut is notably higher than Gemini’s flat 15% fee.

It marks a shift for the company, which had previously steered clear of staking amid regulatory uncertainty.

Under President Joe Biden‘s administration, the Securities and Exchange Commission cracked down on U.S. platforms offering staking services, arguing they constituted unregistered securities.

With President Donald Trump in the White House, the agency has reversed course on several crypto enforcement actions, dropping cases against major players like Coinbase and Binance and signaling a more permissive stance.

Even as enforcement actions ease, Robinhood is under fresh scrutiny for its tokenized stock push, which is a growing part of its international strategy.

The company now offers blockchain-based assets in Europe that give users synthetic exposure to private firms like OpenAI and SpaceX through special purpose vehicles, or SPVs.

An SPV is a separate entity that acquires shares in a company. Users then buy tokens of the SPV and don’t have shareholder privileges or voting rights directly in the company.

OpenAI has publicly objected, warning the tokens do not represent real equity and were issued without its approval. In an interview with CNBC International, CEO Vlad Tenev acknowledged the tokens aren’t technically equity shares, but said that misses the broader point.

JPMorgan announces plans to charge for access to customer bank data

“What’s important is that retail customers have an opportunity to get exposure to this asset,” he said, pointing to the disruptive nature of AI and the historically limited access to pre-IPO companies.

“It is true that these are not technically equity,” Tenev added, noting that institutional investors often gain similar exposure through structured financial instruments.

The Bank of Lithuania — Robinhood’s lead regulator in the EU — told CNBC on Monday that it is “awaiting clarifications” following OpenAI’s statement.

“Only after receiving and evaluating this information will we be able to assess the legality and compliance of these specific instruments,” a spokesperson said, adding that information for investors must be “clear, fair, and non-misleading.”

Tenev responded that Robinhood is “happy to continue to answer questions from our regulators,” and said the company built its tokenized stock program to withstand scrutiny.

“Since this is a new thing, regulators are going to want to look at it,” he said. “And we expect to be scrutinized as a large, innovative player in this space.”

SEC Chair Paul Atkins recently called the model “an innovation” on CNBC’s Squawk Box, offering some validation as Robinhood leans further into its synthetic equity strategy — even as legal clarity remains in flux across jurisdictions.

Despite the regulatory noise, many investors remain focused on Robinhood’s upside, and particularly the political tailwinds.

The company is positioning itself as a key beneficiary of Trump’s newly signed megabill, which includes $1,000 government-seeded investment accounts for newborns. Robinhood said it’s already prototyping an app for the ‘Trump Accounts‘ initiative.

WATCH: Watch CNBC’s full interview with Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev

Watch CNBC's full interview with Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev

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Hyundai and Kia are betting on lower-priced EVs to ride out tariffs

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Hyundai and Kia are betting on lower-priced EVs to ride out tariffs

Korean auto giants Hyundai and Kia think lower-priced EVs will help minimize the blow from the new US auto tariffs. Hyundai is set to unveil a new entry-level electric car soon, which will be sold alongside the Kia EV2. Will it be the IONIQ 2?

Hyundai and Kia shift to lower-priced EVs

Hyundai and Kia already offer some of the most affordable and efficient electric vehicles on the market, with models like the IONIQ 5 and EV6.

In Europe, Korea, Japan, and other overseas markets, Hyundai sells the Inster EV (sold as the Casper Electric in Korea), an electric city car. The Inster EV starts at about $27,000 (€23,900), but Hyundai will soon offer another lower-priced EV, similar to the upcoming Kia EV2.

The Inster EV is seeing strong initial demand in Europe and Japan. According to a local report (via Newsis), demand for the Casper Electric is so high that buyers are waiting over a year for delivery.

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Hyundai is doubling down with plans to introduce an even more affordable EV, rumored to be the IONIQ 2. Xavier Martinet, CEO of Hyundai Motor Europe, said during a recent interview that “The new electric vehicle will be unveiled in the next few months.”

Hyundai-Kia-lower-priced-EVs
Hyundai Casper Electric/ Inster EV models (Source: Hyundai)

The new EV is expected to be a compact SUV, which will likely resemble the upcoming Kia EV2. Kia will launch the EV2 in Europe and other global regions in 2026.

Hyundai is keeping most details under wraps, but the expected IONIQ 2 is likely to sit below the Kona Electric as a smaller city EV.

Hyundai-Kia-lower-priced-EVs
Kia Concept EV2 (Source: Kia)

More affordable electric cars are on the way

Although nothing is confirmed, it’s expected to be priced at around €30,000 ($35,000), or slightly less than the Kia EV3.

The Kia EV3 starts at €35,990 in Europe and £33,005 in the UK, or about $42,000. Through the first half of the year, Kia’s compact electric SUV is the UK’s most popular EV.

Hyundai-Kia-lower-priced-EVs
Kia EV3 (Source: Kia)

Like the Hyundai IONIQ models and Kia’s other electric vehicles, the EV3 is based on the E-GMP platform. It’s available with two battery packs: 58.3 kWh or 81.48 kWh, providing a WLTP range of up to 430 km (270 miles) and 599 km (375 miles), respectively.

Hyundai is expected to reveal the new EV at the IAA Mobility show in Munich in September. Meanwhile, Kia is working on a smaller electric car to sit below the EV2 that could start at under €25,000 ($30,000).

Hyundai-Kia-lower-priced-EVs
Kia unveils EV4 sedan and hatchback, PV5 electric van, and EV2 Concept at 2025 Kia EV Day (Source: Kia)

According to the report, Hyundai and Kia are doubling down on lower-priced EVs to balance potential losses from the new US auto tariffs.

Despite opening its new EV manufacturing plant in Georgia to boost local production, Hyundai is still expected to expand sales in other regions. An industry insider explained, “Considering the risk of US tariffs, Hyundai’s move to target the European market with small electric vehicles is a natural strategy.”

Hyundai-Kia-lower-priced-EVs
2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 (Source: Hyundai)

Although Hyundai is expanding in other markets, it remains a leading EV brand in the US. The IONIQ 5 remains a top-selling EV with over 19,000 units sold through June.

After delivering the first IONIQ 9 models in May, Hyundai reported that over 1,000 models had been sold through the end of June, its three-row electric SUV.

While the $7,500 EV tax credit is still here, Hyundai is offering generous savings with leases for the 2025 IONIQ 5 starting as low as $179 per month. The three-row IONIQ 9 starts at just $419 per month. And Hyundai is even throwing in a free ChargePoint Home Flex Level 2 charger if you buy or lease either model.

Unfortunately, we likely won’t see the entry-level EV2 or IONIQ 2 in the US. However, Kia is set to launch its first electric sedan, the EV4, in early 2026.

Ready to take advantage of the savings while they are still here? You can use our links below to find deals on Hyundai and Kia EV models in your area.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

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