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A coalition of U.S. solar manufacturers petitioned the federal government on Wednesday to impose tariffs on imports from four Southeast Asian nations, alleging that the countries are flooding the U.S. market with cheap products that threaten the domestic industry.

First Solar and six other manufacturers allege that companies in Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam are dumping solar cells on the U.S. market at prices below the cost production or are benefiting from subsidies that leave domestic manufacturers unable to compete.

The other six parties to the petition are Convalt Energy, Meyer Burger, Mission Solar, Qcells, REC Silicon and Swift Solar.

The U.S. manufacturers have asked the International Trade Commission to issue a determination that the domestic solar industry has been harmed. They are requesting that the Commerce Department impose tariffs on solar cell imports from the four countries as a remedy.

First Solar shares rose more than 1% on the news.

The companies that would be targeted by the ITC and Commerce investigations are primarily headquartered in China. The U.S. manufacturers allege the Chinese government is providing subsidies through Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative to manufacturers in Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

“This petition is not asking for special treatment from the US government,” Tim Brightbill, the lead attorney in the case, told reporters on a call Tuesday. “It is simply asking that our current trade laws be enforced.”

The Commerce Department found last August that Chinese producers are shipping their solar products through Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam and into the U.S. to avoid tariffs. President Joe Biden waived the imposition of tariffs on those products until June.

Brightbill told reporters that the vast majority of imports from the Southeast Asian nations would not be covered by tariffs when Biden’s waiver lifts in June because Chinese companies have moved manufacturing out of China and into the four countries.

Tariffs have divided the U.S. solar industry. The manufacturers’ petition to impose duties was met with opposition from the Solar Energy Industries Association, American Clean Power Association, Advanced Energy United, and the American Council on Renewable Energy.

The trade groups said they are “deeply concerned” that the petitions “will lead to further market volatility across the U.S. solar and storage industry and create uncertainty at a time when we need effective solutions that support U.S. solar manufacturers.”

They called on the Biden administration to consider alternative solutions to the manufacturers’ concerns.

Array Technologies, a manufacturer of solar tracking technology, said the petitions would cause “significant disruptions and challenges for the solar industry.”

“This case is bad news for clean energy jobs and American solar manufacturing,” Array CEO Kevin Hostetler said in a statement Wednesday. “More duties will only cause uncertainty and unnecessary project
delays, holding the U.S. back in meeting our clean energy deployment and manufacturing goals,” he said.

Solar panel prices plummeted nearly 50% globally in 2023 compared to the prior year as manufacturing capacity has tripled since 2021, according to a January report from the International Energy Agency. China’s market share of global supply chains is between 80% and 95%, according to the report.

The global supply glut led to a 45 gigawatt stockpile of solar modules in the U.S. at the end of 2023, nearly double forecast installations for 2024, according to the IEA.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told CNBC earlier this month that the Biden administration would not rule out imposing tariffs on subsidized clean energy exports from China.

The ITC and Commerce Department investigations will take about 12 months to conclude, Brightbill said. The soonest tariffs could be imposed is after the Commerce Department makes a preliminary determination, which will take about four to six months, he said.

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Lectric restocks e-bikes with up to $654 in free gear from $999, Anker 521 station $170, Greenworks battery discounts, Rachio, more

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May 14, 2025

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Lectric restocks e-bikes with up to 4 in free gear from 9, Anker 521 station 0, Greenworks battery discounts, Rachio, more

For today’s Green Deals, we’re starting with Lectric’s ongoing Mother’s Day Sale e-bike deals after the brand has restocked several models that sold out over the last few weeks, including the XPress 750 Commuter e-bikes that are coming along with $336 in free gear at $1,299. Next, we spotted the tried-and-true Anker 521 Portable Power Station dropping down to $170, which has been upgraded with LiFePO4 cells. There’s also a selection of Greenworks 40V and 80V batteries seeing up to 32% discounts, led by the G-MAX 40V 5.0Ah Battery that has dropped to its $126 low. Lastly, we have Rachio’s 3rd Gen 8-Zone Smart Sprinkler Controller falling to $170. Plus, all the other hangover Green Deals are in the links at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s new DELTA 2 Max solar generator bundle low, and more.

Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

Lectric’s XPress 750 Commuter e-bikes are back in stock and coming with $336 in free gear at $1,299

Lectric has some ongoing bundle deals that are left over from the brand’s short-term Mother’s Day Sale, which are also running alongside the ongoing preorder bundles for its new XP4 and XP4 750 e-bikes that launched last week. Among the offers, one notable option is Lectric’s XPress 750 e-bikes for $1,299 shipped, which are now back in stock and coming with $336 in free gear – plus, it’s one of the few models getting the option for $200 off a spare long-range battery to double the mileage (found with the bundled items on the landing page). This bundle would normally cost you $1,635 in full, but the brand is known for its discounts, primarily being on the add-on packages rather than the bikes themselves. Along with your purchase, you’ll be scoring a steel-encased rear cargo rack, fenders to go over both tires, an Elite headlight upgrade, and a suspension seat post. Head below for more on this and the other models seeing savings.

Coming in both Step-Thru and Step-Over frames, the Lectric XPress 750 e-bikes are one of my favorite commuter models that I’ve had the experience riding, with more and more of them popping up across NYC since their release last year. The stock bike with the 14Ah battery weighs in at just under 60 pounds (so a little more with the added-on accessories), equipped with a 750W rear hub motor (1,310 peak) and providing up to 60 miles of travel while its five PAS levels are active, which are supported by a torque sensor for more effortless pick-up and hill climbing. In terms of speed, it all depends on your local laws, with the motor producing either 20 MPH or 28 MPH top speeds, and of course, there are throttles for pure electric cruises, but this will lessen its travel range.

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As with the case of most of the Lectric’s EVs, there’s a solid array of other features on the XPress 750 e-bikes for its $1,299 price tag, like the puncture-resistant tires, hydraulic mineral oil brakes, front suspension fork, a 7-geared freewheel paired with a Shimano derailleur, removable pedals, a thru-axle wheel attachment system for tool-free installations, kickstand, a hidden cable routing system, an integrated headlight and taillight, and a full-color LCD display with a USB-A port to charge your personal devices, especially if you use them as a GPS while riding.

Lectric’s XP4 e-bike preorders with up to $356 bundles (shipping June 2):

Lectric’s XP 3.0 Long-Range e-bike clearance offers (price cuts only):

XPedition 2.0 offers with up to $654 bundles:

XP Electric Trike with $420 bundle

XPeak 2.0 offers with up to $316 bundles:

XP Lite 2.0 Long-Range e-bike offers with up to $316 bundles:

ONE LR e-bike with $220 bundle

Anker 521 portable power station

Get compact personal backup power with Anker’s 521 portable LiFePO4 station at $170

Through its official Amazon storefront, Anker has dropped the price on its 521 Portable Power Station to $169.99 shipped. This unit normally carries a $200 price tag at full here, with the brand’s direct website pricing it higher with a $250 MSRP. Discounts on this model regularly bring the cost down to $170 or its $160 low, with many Lightning deals staggered between longer-lasting price cuts. Anker’s direct website is currently having a flash sale on it for $180, which is beaten out here at Amazon by $10 for a solid $30 off the going rate ($80 off its MSRP) at the second-best price we have tracked.

While this isn’t one of the latest models from the brand, the Anker 521 power station has been upgraded with LiFePO4 battery cells. It comes as a more compact personal backup power solution that provides a 256Wh capacity to keep your devices juiced up while out travelling or as an emergency means during blackouts. It comes surge protected, delivering up to 600W of output power through its six port options – two ACs, two USB-As, one USB-C, and one car port. There are multiple ways to recharge its battery: via a wall outlet, the USB-C port, with a 65W solar panel, or with your car’s auxiliary port.

greenworks G-MAX 40V 5.0Ah battery

Save up to 32% on Greenworks 40V and 80V batteries like the G-MAX 5.0Ah model down at its $126 low

Amazon is offering discounts across some Greenworks batteries, so you can stock up your arsenal for guaranteed power when you need it. Among the models we’re seeing, the most notable is the brand’s G-MAX 40V 5.0Ah Battery for $125.99 shipped, with the price also matching direct from Greenworks’ website. This upgraded model normally fetches $180 at full price, with two previous discounts in 2025 taking things lower than ever to this same rate. You’re getting another shot at the lowest price we have tracked on this model, helping you stock up while saving you $54 off the going rate.

Greenworks is one of the best beginner-friendly electric lawn care solutions to replace gas-guzzlers, especially considering that its batteries work across multiple tools and even EVs. For those with an arsenal of 40V tools and devices, this battery is the second-largest for that particular ecosystem, only beaten in capacity by its 8.0Ah counterpart. It comes designed with multiple protections against overheating, short circuiting, over voltage, over current, over discharging, over charging, and more – plus, there’s even an LED indicator that gives you at-a-glance battery levels.

Other Greenworks batteries seeing discounts:

Earlier, we saw Greenworks’ latest Pro-tier 2,300 PSI Electric Pressure Washer dropping back to its $280 low, with many other lawn care solutions rounded together in the same post.

rachio 8-zone smart sprinkler controller

Streamline your sprinklers while cutting water costs with Rachio’s 3rd-gen 8-zone smart controller at $170

Amazon is helping folks streamline their sprinkler setups with the Rachio 3rd Gen 8-Zone Smart Sprinkler Controller getting taken down to $169.99 shipped right now. While the device is listed with a $230 price tag, we’ve been seeing it post up at $200 when at full price these days, with discounts having been more sparse since March. While we have seen it go as low as $146 in the past, this is still a solid $30 markdown that lets you upgrade your sprinklers and irrigation system with “30-minute or less DIY installation.” You can also bundle this device with a weatherproof enclosure for $202, down from $270.

Everyone has different needs when it comes to their yards, and for those with more sizable gardens and lawns, you’ll be able to better streamline controls over watering by installing this popular Rachio device, shrinking water costs in the process too. After the “30-minute or less DIY installation,” which requires no special tools, you’ll gain this device’s weather recognition tech that comes programmed to automatically skip watering during or after inclement weather has moved in, with functions like rain skip, wind skip, freeze skip, and more. What’s great here, is that once installed, you won’t have to worry about extra charges or app subscriptions, with it giving you all the controls to manage things through its companion app on your phone.

Best Spring EV deals!

Best new Green Deals landing this week

The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.

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Tesla’s Robyn Denholm made 5x more than next best-paid chair, a role Musk said was usefuless

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May 14, 2025

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Tesla's Robyn Denholm made 5x more than next best-paid chair, a role Musk said was usefuless

Robyn Denholm, Tesla’s chairwoman, made five times more money than the next best-paid board chair, a role Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk said was useless.

In 2018, Musk settled with the SEC for falsely claiming he had secured funding to take Tesla private at $420 a share, he was forced to resign as chair of Tesla’s board.

Musk basically handpicked Robyn Denholm to become the new chair, which he then called a useless “honorific” titled:

“Chairman’ is an honorific, not executive role, which means it’s not needed to run Tesla. Will retire that title at Tesla in 3 years.”

Denholm made a lot of money in this useless honorific role.

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She has made over $530 million, almost entirely through stock option compensation, since becoming Tesla’s chairperson.

Most of her stock sales happened over the last year:

The New York Times released a new report looking into Denholm’s compensation and found that she was paid about 5 times more than the next best-paid nonexecutive chair.

Tesla paid its chair about 5 times more than UnitedHealth’s:

The nonexecutive chair with the next-highest profit from selling shares in the company he oversees was Stephen Hemsley of UnitedHealth Group. Mr. Hemsley has earned more than $100 million from the sale of UnitedHealth shares since November 2018, though he received all of that stock while he was chief executive of the health care company.

To Musk’s point about the role being honorific, it’s not clear what Denholm accomplished during her time as chair.

She and the rest of Tesla’s board oversee Tesla’s executive management, led by Musk, but Musk has been allowed to do whatever he wants for years.

They have backed his every move, granted him a $55 billion CEO compensation package, and remained silent when he threatened Tesla shareholders that he would not develop AI products at Tesla unless given a larger, more controlling share of the company, or decided to fire Tesla’s entire charging team to make an example out of the head of the team.

Most recently, they have not addressed the protests at Tesla stores and product boycotts, which are attributed to Musk’s involvement in politics, angering a significant portion of the population and Tesla’s consumer base.

Only recently was there a report suggesting the board floated the idea of replacing Musk to gain leverage in forcing him to spend more time at Tesla. Even then, the board quickly denied the report, which only claimed that they were doing their jobs in planning the CEO succession.

Electrek’s Take

Based on Musk’s comment, Denholm was paid half a billion dollars to do nothing. That’s literally all that was required of her after replacing Musk as chair of the board: nothing.

Musk is in charge. She is just an “honorific” figurehead that is required to back his every move.

Just as Tesla’s then-third-largest individual shareholder, after Musk, Leo KoGuan, told Electrek last year, when he couldn’t get his concerns about Musk heard by the board, Tesla is “a family business masquerading as a public company.”

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UrbanLink nearly doubles order of REGENT electric seagliders to transport over 4M passengers a year

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5 hours ago

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May 14, 2025

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UrbanLink nearly doubles order of REGENT electric seagliders to transport over 4M passengers a year

UrbanLink

Less than a year after announcing an order for 27 electric seaglider planes from REGENT Craft, advanced air mobility (AAM) specialist UrbanLink has nearly doubled that order size to support plans for high-frequency commercial flights around the southeastern United States.

While advanced air mobility may be a nascent industry, companies around the globe are continuously gearing up to establish commercial networks that support air taxi travel and other sustainable commercial operations. In the US, particularly Southern Florida, UrbanLink has been making tons of moves to establish itself as a major player in that space when it happens.

UrbanLink has already been working for years to enable zero-emission, end-to-end travel within a 500-mile range by 2028 before expanding that range to 1,000 miles by 2030, beginning with its hub cities of Miami, Los Angeles, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The company believes its actions have adequately positioned it to become the first airline in the US to integrate electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft into its fleet. Fellow eVTOL network Archer Aviation is also in the race, so it’s exciting times for commercial air taxi development.

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UrbanLink has committed to purchasing from several eVTOL and electric plane developers, including Artemis Sea Crafts, Eviation Aircraft, and Lilium, as we reported back in June 2024. Last fall, the AAM operator announced it was adding more vessels to its growing fleet in South Florida, committing to purchase 27 electric seagliders from REGENT Craft.

Today, UrbanLink and REGENT announced an expansion of their existing partnership in which the former has upped its purchase order to 47 electric seagliders.

UrbanLink
Source: UrbanLink

REGENT Craft and UrbanLink shared details of the expanded partnership this morning, in hopes of establishing Florida as the bona fide leader in sustainable coastal aerial mobility.

Per the company, the nearly doubling of the existing order for REGENT’s Viceroy electric seagliders will support a more rapid rollout of UrbanLink’s aerial operations between the southern Florida and Puerto Rico regions. REGENT co-founder and CEO Billy Thalheimer spoke about the expanded seaglider order:

UrbanLink’s expanded order is a clear vote of confidence in REGENT’s seaglider technology and is testament to our continued timely execution certification and product development milestones. Together, we’re building a more convenient and connected future for coastal communities.

As the map above shows, electric sea glider travel can cut the travel time from Miami to West Palm Beach by nearly 75%. This single route represents a growing demand for convenient and more sustainable alternatives for short-haul travel in the US, and UrbanLink hopes to provide that to Florida visitors and beyond.

For example, the company shared that it anticipates that its seaglider operations in Miami alone could provide more sustainable travel options to up to 4.3 million passengers per year when commercial operations begin. UrbanLink founder and chairman Ed Wegel also spoke:

We’re proud to expand our partnership with REGENT and bring this revolutionary technology to more passengers traveling high-demand routes across Florida and Puerto Rico. This partnership propels Florida to the forefront of global innovation in advanced, all-electric mobility.

REGENT’s full-scale Viceroy electric seaglider prototype is currently in the process of successful sea trials en route to certification from the US Coast Guard. These 12-passenger vessels can reach up to 180 mph and travel up to 180 miles on a single charge.

First deliveries of the Viceroy seagliders to UrbanLink are expected to begin sometime in 2027.

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