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“Make Bitcoin Great Again” hats displayed for sale at the Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville, Tennessee, US, on Saturday, July 27, 2024. Former US President Trump used to be a crypto critic but in recent weeks adopted a much friendlier stance alongside the sector’s emergence as an influential player in the 2024 presidential election through big donations to a political action committee.

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With the 2024 election hitting its homestretch, the leading pro-crypto super PAC has funneled a big chunk of its final donations to close House races as part of an effort to push candidates favorable to the group’s agenda over the top.

Fairshake, which has been one of the top spenders across any industry this election cycle, doled out nearly $29 million in September, according to Federal Election commission data released to the public on Sunday. Of that sum, $20 million went to two affiliated PACs — $15 million to the Defend American Jobs PAC, a single-issue committee focused on cryptocurrency and blockchain policy that’s favored Republicans, and $5 million to Protect Progress, which has only supported Democrats.

The remaining $8.8 million spent by Fairshake last month mostly went to House races in New York, Nevada and California, according to FEC data compiled by crypto market and blockchain analyst James Delmore and verified by CNBC. 

Several of those races are considered toss-ups by the Cook Political Report. Among the recipients were Southern California Republicans David G. Valadao and Michael Garcia, who are both in tights contests to keep their seats. They’ve received $1.3 million and $1 million, respectively.

“The Fairshake donations to the California candidates in toss-up districts are important not only to get pro-crypto candidates elected in House seats that could go either way, but also because a lot of crypto companies are still located in California,” Delmore said. “California needs all of the pro-crypto politicians they can get.”

Additionally, Fairshake gave more than $1.9 million to Rep. Patrick Ryan (D-NY), over $1.7 million to Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.) and almost $1 million to Rep. Angela Dawn Craig (D-Minn.). The remaining cash went to a mix of candidates in Illinois, Colorado, Oregon, Iowa and Arkansas.

Of the House donations, $6.2 million went to Democratic candidates and $2.3 million to Republicans. In the September window, Protect Progress gave more than $10 million apiece to Democrats running for Senate in Arizona and Michigan.

For the 2024 cycle, political donations from or supporting the crypto industry reached around $190 million, with contributions coming from some of the biggest names in the sector. A report from Public Citizen in August found that crypto companies have accounted for nearly half of all donations made by corporations this election cycle.

Crypto groups have spent over $130 million in congressional races for this year’s election, including the primaries, according to FEC data.

Delmore told CNBC that donations to Fairshake have been tepid the last few months.

In September, the group added around $1.1 million, with $800,000 coming from crypto firm Consensys, which was sued by the SEC in June, and $1,000 from Moonsong Labs CEO Derek Yoo.

In total, Fairshake has raised more than $160 million and disbursed over $37 million to support House candidates and to run ads opposing Democrat Katie Porter, who lost in the California Senate primary. More than $84 million was transferred to Fairshake’s affiliate PACs.

WATCH: Crypto PAC money backs Utah Senate candidate and others across U.S.

Crypto PAC money backs Utah Senate candidate and others across U.S.

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Communication is now even more important to getting renewable projects off the ground, experts say

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Communication is now even more important to getting renewable projects off the ground, experts say

(From left) CNBC’s Steve Sedgwick moderates an IoT panel with Cenk Alper, CEO of Sabanci Holding, Christina Shim, chief sustainability officer of IBM, and Mitesh Patel, interim CEO and COO of SunCable International, at CONVERGE LIVE on March 13, 2025.

Renewable energy companies can shorten the long approval process needed for their projects by communicating better with stakeholders, according to experts.

Christina Shim, IBM’s chief sustainability officer, said sponsors need to focus on the business value — in addition to the environmental benefits — when discussing their projects.

“That being said … there are some triggering words now, depending on where you sit around the world, and I think the more that you can quantify business value for what you’re doing and tie it to, again, the business operations and business decision making, it’s only going to be more and more important,” Shim said Thursday.

“As long as the outcomes are the same, you just need to make sure that you’re communicating in an appropriate way with the right stakeholders.”

She compared it to how one might talk to a CFO, versus an investor, versus someone in procurement. “You kind of have to talk about things a little bit differently.”

Mitesh Patel, interim CEO and COO at SunCable International, agrees that adjusting communication for the right audience is crucial.

“For politicians, the voters are their constituency, not your project or not your company. You have to help them translate what benefits your project will bring to the constituents,” said Patel, whose company is developing a project to deliver solar energy from Australia to Singapore via undersea cables.

The project, called Australia-Asia PowerLink, is valued around $24 billion and expected to supply Singapore with 1.75 gigawatts of electricity — or around 15% of its electricity needs, according to the company.

The comments by Shim and Patel, who were speaking to CNBC’s Steve Sedgwick on a panel in Singapore, come as renewable energy projects often take many years to get off the ground.

A report from the Global Infrastructure hub, which is part of the World Bank’s Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility, noted the complex nature of preparation needed before an infrastructure project gets underway. It put the average project preparation time at 6 years but said it can take up to 14 years if the project is not planned properly.

Political will is 'absolutely essential' for cross-jurisdiction sustainability projects: SunCable International

Cenk Alper, CEO of Sabanci Holding, a Turkish conglomerate, said the biggest obstacle to getting renewable energy projects off the ground is often regulatory.

“The biggest problem is still government — the permits. Because from licensing to making a project ready, the total time is longer than the construction time,” he said.

The situation in Europe is worse, he added, citing a project where connecting to the grid took two years.

Alper said Western countries need to streamline the approval process for renewable energy projects, noting China has embarked on more projects in the last five years than the rest of the world combined.

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Killing IRA EV tax credits will ruin US EV and battery industries – Princeton study

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Killing IRA EV tax credits will ruin US EV and battery industries – Princeton study

A new study from the REPEAT Project led by Princeton University’s ZERO Lab warns that the repeal of Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) tax credits could decimate the growing EV manufacturing sector.

The report “Potential Impacts of Electric Vehicle Tax Credit Repeal on US Vehicle Market and Manufacturing” clearly outlines the risks. The Princeton study states that repealing the IRA federal tax credits and the EPA’s clean vehicle regulations would sharply reduce EV demand.

Specifically, EV sales could drop around 30% by 2027 and nearly 40% by 2030 compared to sticking with the policies implemented by the Biden administration. That means the share of EVs among new cars sold would shrink dramatically – from about 18% to 13% by 2026 and from 40% to just 24% by 2030.

“While no one has a perfect crystal ball, this is our best attempt to survey available quantitative forecasts and develop an outlook on US EV sales,” explained the study’s project leader, Jesse D. Jenkins, assistant professor at Princeton’s Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering and Andlinger Center for Energy & Environment in an email. “The report is also the only analysis I’m aware of to date that draws the connection to US manufacturing as well.”

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Here’s why this matters: The report points out that repealing these policies wouldn’t just slow down EV adoption – it could seriously derail the US manufacturing renaissance now underway. Up to 100% of planned expansions for EV assembly plants could be canceled or shuttered. Battery manufacturing would also take a huge hit, with between 29% and 72% of battery cell production capacity becoming redundant by 2025. That means factories under construction or those just coming online would be at risk.

To put that into perspective, an Environmental Defense Fund report released in January found that $197.6 billion worth of investments in EV and battery manufacturing have been announced at 208 facilities around the US, with two-thirds announced since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in August 2022.

It’s probably a good time to point out that, in order to qualify for IRA federal tax credits, EVs must be domestically assembled, use battery components that have been substantially domestically produced, and use critical minerals produced, processed, or recycled in North America or free trade agreement countries.

Why, then, is the Trump administration torpedoing an industry that’s achieving the very thing it says it wants to achieve, which is to boost domestic manufacturing and jobs?

And let’s not forget the broader EV supply chain – materials, parts, and component suppliers across the country would also suffer, though these effects haven’t even been fully quantified yet.

Bottom line: Repealing the tax credits and regulations wouldn’t just slow down EV sales – it would threaten the jobs, investments, and communities counting on America’s EV manufacturing boom.

Read more: Republican districts lose billions as clean energy cancellations surge


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Cadillac’s most affordable EV just got even cheaper

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Cadillac's most affordable EV just got even cheaper

The Optiq, Cadillac’s most affordable EV, just got a price cut. Despite being on the market for less than two months, GM cut lease prices by nearly $100 a month. Here’s how you can snag the deal.

GM cuts lease prices on Cadillac’s most affordable EV

Compared to Cadillac’s other electric vehicles, like the Escalade IQL, which starts at over $130,000, and the Vistiq, which has a price tag of over $77,000, the Optiq already looks like a steal at about $55,000.

Cadillac’s electric SUV arrived in January with lease prices starting at $489 per month. Although this was already its cheapest SUV (gas or EV), GM is making it even more affordable this month.

The 2025 Cadillac Lyriq is now listed at just $399 for 24 months with $4,929 due at signing. In less than two months, the OPTIQ’s lease prices have fallen by $90, or almost 20%. The deal is for the 2025 Cadillac Optiq AWD Luxury 1 with an MSRP of $54,390.

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Cadillac’s lease deal runs through March 31. However, there are a few limitations you should know about. The deal includes a $2,000 loyalty or conquest offer.

Cadillac's-most-affordable-EV-lease
Cadillac Optiq EV lease deal (Source: Cadillac)

The fine print states you must be a lessee of a 2020 model year or newer non-GM vehicle for at least 30 days. According to online car research firm CarsDirect, this extends to 2011 and newer electric vehicles from a competitor brands such as Tesla, Rivian, Porsche, BMW, Ford, and Honda, among several others.

At 190″ long, 75″ wide, and 65″ tall, the Cadillac Optiq is about the same size as the Tesla Model Y (187″ long x 76″ wide x 64″ tall).

Powered by an 85 kWh battery pack, the electric SUV has a driving range of up to 302 miles. With 150 kW DC fast charging, the Optiq can gain up to 79 miles of range in about 10 minutes.

2025 Cadillac Optiq trim Starting Price
(including destination)
Driving Range
(EPA-estimated)
Luxury 1 $54,390 302 miles
Luxury 2 $56,590 302 miles
Sport 1 $54,990 302 miles
Sport 2 $57,090 302 miles
2025 Cadillac Optiq price and range by trim

Inside, the Optiq features a massive 33″ infotainment and “segment-leading” cargo (57 cubic feet) and second-row space.

GM has been introducing new deals on new EV models all year. Chevy’s new Equinox, Blazer, and Silverado EVs are all available with 0% APR with leases starting as low as $299 per month.

Ready to take advantage of the savings? We can help you get started. Check out our links below to find deals on GM’s most popular EVs in your area.

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