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Our Green Deals coverage this week kicks off with a short-term sale through Friday from Jackery which is seeing its Explorer 2000 v2 Portable Power Station drop to its $999 low, among other savings. Velotric has provided a second chance to hop aboard its well-rounded Go 1 Utility e-bike for a $999 low, with some notable discounts/bundle offers on other popular models. We also spotted a discount for today only on Anker’s SOLIX F3800 Portable Power Station that is taking costs to $2,449 alongside its expansion battery also seeing a one-day-only fall to $1,799. Lastly, Goal Zero’s Alta 50 Portable Fridge/Freezer is down at $550, with its larger counterpart sitting at its second-lowest rate. Plus, all the other hangover Green Deals are in the links at the bottom of the page, collected together in our Electrified Weekly roundup – and don’t miss out on the Lectric and Rad Power flash sales that are ending tonight!

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.

Jackery sale drops new Explorer 2000 v2 LiFePO4 power station to $999 low

Jackery is running a four-day sale through January 24 that is offering up to 47% off on some of the brand’s best power stations for home backup needs, DIY work, and outdoor enjoyment. One of the latest releases, Jackery’s Explorer 2000 v2 Portable Power Station, is dropping down to $999 shipped. Today’s deal is following Black Friday trends with a 33% markdown off its usual $1,499 full price, with $1,099 being the more average discounted rate we’ve seen. With today’s deal, you’ll be getting the maximum savings we’ve seen at $500 off, which returns costs to the all-time lowest price we have tracked. You’ll also find this model matches the price from Amazon.

Looking for a compact power station that can not only cover devices you’ll take along on trips, but also appliances in times of both leisure and emergency? Jackery’s Explorer 2000 v2 stuffs it all into one convenient and affordable unit, with a 2,042Wh LiFePO4 capacity, seven port options, and a 2,200W power output that surges up to 4,400W. It’s been designed with exclusive CBT tech and a honeycomb build for a smaller and lighter size, while the ChargeShield 2.0 tech provides 62 forms of protection while it is charging and its silent charging mode keeps the noise under 30dB for when you’re trying to relax or sleep.

There are four ways to recharge Jackery’s Explorer 2000 v2, with an 80% battery achieved via a wall outlet in around 66+ minutes – and it also boasts a supercharge feature for last-minute needs that will refill the entire battery in 102+ minutes. Your car’s auxiliary port is also an option taking about 24 hours, or you can invest in some of the solar panels to take advantage of its solar charging capabilities (discounted bundles available from Amazon)

Jackery deals for DIY support

Jackery deals for outdoor exploration

Jackery deals for home backup

You’ll also find some select discounts by way of Jackery’s official Amazon storefront, with this flagship Explorer 3000 Pro solar generator bundle that comes with a transfer switch for your breakers down at its second-lowest price.

Velotric Go 1 Utility e-bike

Second chance at $700 savings on Velotric’s Go 1 Utility e-bike with Apple Find My at $999 low

Velotric has ongoing New Year savings happening across its e-bike lineup, with the brand’s Go 1 Utility e-bike even seeing a drop to $999 shipped. More recently fetching $1,699 in full after falling from its original $1,799 MSRP earlier in 2024, this model has been regularly dropping to $1,299 during sales, with things only hitting $999 once last month for a three-day flash sale. It’s coming back again here with $700 struck from its going rate for a second chance at the lowest price we have tracked.

Velotric’s Go 1 e-bike is a model built for versatility, bringing far more to your table than a standard commuter, especially at its lowest price. The 692Wh battery delivers 55 miles of pedal-assisted support (five levels) on a single charge, with a throttle for pure electric action at the cost of higher mileage. The 500W hub motor (peaking at 900W) will have you moving at 20 MPH speeds, with its maximum 25 MPH speed unlockable through the companion app.

Speaking of the smart controls, one notable feature is the Apple Find My inclusion, providing you with some added peace of mind should it be misplaced or stolen. There’s also the hydraulic suspension (with lock-out), hydraulic disc brakes, puncture-resistant tires, a 7-speed Shimano derailleur, the integrated LED headlight, a rear rack with an integrated taillight that delivers brake lighting, and a 3.5-inch LCD display that sports a USB port to charge your devices on the go.

Most notable Velotric e-bike deals:

  • 2024 Discover 1 Plus Comfort e-bike: $1,199 (Reg. 1,599)
    • 28 MPH for up to 65 miles
    • 30% off accessories with e-bike purchase
  • T1 ST Plus Lightweight e-bike: $1,299 (Reg. $1,549)
    • 28 MPH for up to 70 miles
    • 30% off accessories with e-bike purchase
  • Nomad 1 Plus Step-Thru e-bike: $1,399 (Reg. $1,799)
    • 28 MPH for up to 55 miles
    • comes with free double-spring comfort saddle
  • Discover 2 e-bike: $1,749 (Reg. $1,899)
    • 28 MPH for up to 75 miles
    • comes with free suspension seatpost 2.0
  • And much more…
Anker SOLIX F3800 portable power station

Save $1,050 on Anker’s SOLIX F3800 3,840Wh LiFePO4 power station at $2,449 (Today only)

By way of its Deals of the Day, Best Buy is offering the Anker SOLIX F3800 Portable Power Station for $2,449 shipped until midnight tonight (January 20). Today’s deal is benefitting from a 30% markdown off its $3,499 rate here (with a higher $3,999 rate direct from Anker). We’ve seen it go lower twice before with Cyber Monday seeing it $50 lower while an exclusive Black Friday deal at Wellbots saw it fall to the $2,099 low. You’ll be saving $1,050 today ($1,550 when considering its direct rate), giving you the means to power anything at the third-lowest price we have tracked. It’s even beating out Anker’s own site right now that has it discounted to $2,699.

Anker’s SOLIX F3800 power station boasts a larger (and expandable) capacity with far more versatility, coming in with a 3,840Wh LiFePO4 battery that can be bumped up to 26.9kWh with added expansion batteries (see the deal below). With a 6,000W power output that surges to 9,000W, its 15+ port options allow it to power virtually anything – with hook-ups for your RV and electric car too. It can even cover your home’s circuit breaker with either a Home Backup Kit for sectional support or the Home Power Panel for whole-home coverage on top of connection capabilities with your roof panels (check out direct Anker deals for those here).

For the rest of the day, Best Buy is also offering the expansion battery for the above power station at its second-lowest price of $1,799 shipped. By adding this add-on battery to your F3800 setup, you’ll gain an additional 3,840Wh worth of capacity – bumping things to 7,680Wh+ and allowing for longer periods of backup power, especially in emergencies.

Goal Zero Alta 50 Portable refrigerator and freezer

Goal Zero’s portable fridge/freezer down at lowest price starting from $550 (Save $250+)

Goal Zero’s official Amazon storefront is offering its Alta 50 Portable Fridge/Freezer at $549.95 shipped, after clipping the on-page $250 off coupon. Coming down from its full $800 price, today’s deal is saving you a sizeable 31% off its going rate. You’ll save $250 here at the second-lowest price we have tracked, which comes in just six pennies higher than its all-time lowest rate, beating out plenty of same-sized competitors that tend to keep near $750 and up.

Goal Zero’s Alta 50 (and its larger Alta 80 counterpart) makes a great portable refrigeration/freezing option for job sites, camping trips, or even at-home use in garages, sheds, and more. Able to hold as low a temperature as -4 degrees, it switches between refrigeration or freezing capabilities with a 53L capacity that can hold up to 75 twelve-ounce cans at once. Keep in mind though, this model doesn’t have its own battery and needs either an outlet or one of the brand’s power stations to keep it running.

Right now, you might also want to consider the larger and more dual-purposed Alta 80 model which is down at $699.89 from its usual $1,000 rate. You won’t have to choose which function to go with here, as its larger 78L capacity is split between dual zones for simultaneous refrigeration and freezing. It holds an impressive 130 twelve-ounce cans, with runtimes of up to 12+ days depending on which of the brand’s power stations are running it.

Best New Year 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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Russia’s struggling war economy might be what finally drives Moscow to the negotiating table

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7 hours ago

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May 22, 2025

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Russia’s struggling war economy might be what finally drives Moscow to the negotiating table

Russian President Vladimir Putin tours an exhibition at the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War on Poklonnaya Gora in Moscow, Russia, April 30, 2025.

Alexander Kazakov | Via Reuters

Russia has shown little appetite for peace negotiations with Ukraine, despite Moscow making a show of what war experts described as “performative ceasefires,” and a number of attempts by U.S. President Donald Trump to persuade Russian leader Vladimir Putin to talk to Kyiv.

In fact, Moscow is widely believed to be planning a new summer offensive in Ukraine to consolidate territorial gains in the southern and eastern parts of the country, that its forces partially occupy. If successful, the offensive could give Russia more leverage in any future talks.

While Russia seems reluctant to pursue peace now, increasing economic and military pressures at home — ranging from supplies of military hardware and recruitment of soldiers, to sanctions on revenue-generating exports like oil — could be the factors that eventually drive Moscow to the negotiating table.

“Russia will seek to intensify offensive operations to build pressure during negotiations, but the pressure cannot be sustained indefinitely,” Jack Watling, senior research fellow for Land Warfare at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London, said in analysis Tuesday.

Russian stockpiles of military equipment left over from the Soviet era, including tanks, artillery and infantry fighting vehicles, will be running out between now and mid-fall, Watling said, meaning that Russia’s ability to replace losses will be entirely dependent on what it can produce from scratch.

“At the same time, while Russia can fight another two campaign seasons with its current approach to recruitment, further offensive operations into 2026 will likely require further forced mobilisation, which is both politically and economically challenging,” Watling surmised.

CNBC has contacted the Kremlin for a response to the comments and is awaiting a reply.

Economy slowing

In the meantime, dark clouds are gathering on the horizon when it comes to Russia’s war-focused economy, which has labored under the weight of international sanctions as well as homegrown pressures, also largely resulting from war, such as rampant inflation and high food and production costs that even Putin described as “alarming.”

Russia’s central bank (CBR) has stood the course of keeping interest rates high (at 21%) in a bid to lower the rate of inflation, which stood at 10.2% in April. The CBR said in May that a disinflationary process is underway but that “a prolonged period of tight monetary policy” is still required for inflation to return to its target of 4% in 2026. In the meantime, a marked slowdown in the Russian economy has surprised some economists.

“The sharp slowdown in Russian gross domestic product growth from 4.5% year-on-year in the fourth quarter, to 1.4% in the first quarter is consistent with a sharp fall in output and suggests that the economy may be heading for a much harder landing than we had expected,” Liam Peach, senior emerging markets economist at Capital Economics commented last week.

“Such a sharp drop in GDP growth has surprised us, although we had expected a slowdown to take hold this year,” he noted, adding that “a technical recession is possible over the first half of the year and GDP growth over 2025 as a whole could come in significantly below our current forecast of 2.5%.”

In this pool photograph distributed by Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin visits Uralvagonzavod, the country’s main tank factory in the Urals, in Nizhny Tagil, on Feb. 15, 2024.

Ramil Sitdikov | Afp | Getty Images

The growth that remains in the Russian economy is concentrated in manufacturing, specifically the defense sector and related industries, and is being fueled by state spending, according to Alexander Kolyandr, senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis.

“After three years of militarizing the country, Russia’s economy is cooling,” he said in online analysis for CEPA, noting that the slowdown in inflation, less borrowing by companies and consumers, declining imports, industrial output and consumer spending all pointed to the slowdown continuing.

That’s not disputed by Russian officials, with the Economic Development Ministry predicting that economic growth will slow from 4.3% in 2024 to 2.5% this year.

“The economy is not demobilizing; it is just running out of steam. That said, a drop can easily become a dive. Bad decisions by policymakers, a further dip in oil prices, or carelessness with inflation, and Russia could find itself in trouble,” Kolyandr said.

Sanctions and oil price bite

What’s particularly starting to hurt Russia are factors beyond its control, including tighter sanctions on Russia’s “shadow fleet” (vessels illicitly transporting oil in a bid to evade sanctions enacted following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine) and a decline in oil prices as a result of Trump’s global tariffs policy that is hitting demand.

On Thursday, benchmark Brent futures with a July expiry stood at $64.94 a barrel while frontmonth July U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was at $61.65. The last spot price of a barrel of Urals crude oil, Russia’s benchmark, was at $59.97, according to LSEG data.

At the start of 2025, Brent was trading at $74.64 per barrel, while WTI and Urals crude were trading at $75.13 and $70.04, respectively.

Russia’s finance ministry said in April that it expects 24% lower revenues from oil and gas this year, compared to earlier estimates, and lowered its oil price forecast from $69.7 to $56 per barrel. The ministry also raised the 2025 budget deficit estimate to 1.7% of GDP, from a previous forecast of 0.5%.

FILE PHOTO: Crude oil tanker Nevskiy Prospect, owned by Russia’s leading tanker group Sovcomflot, transits the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey September 6, 2020. 

Yoruk Isik | Reuters

A lower oil price will “severely limit Russian revenue while its reserves are becoming depleted,” RUSI’s analyst Watling remarked.

“More aggressive enforcement against Russia’s shadow fleet and the continuation of Ukraine’s deep strike campaign could reduce the liquid capital that has so far allowed Russia to steadily increase defence production and offer massive bonuses for volunteers joining the military,” he said.

If Western allies can maintain and strengthen efforts to degrade Russia’s economy, and Ukraine’s forces “deny Russia from reaching the borders of Donetsk [in eastern Ukraine] between now and Christmas,” then “Moscow will face hard choices about the costs it is prepared to incur for continuing the war.”

“Under such conditions the Russians may move from Potemkin negotiations to actually negotiating,” Watling said.

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White House crypto czar David Sacks says stablecoin bill will unlock ‘trillions’ for U.S. Treasury

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13 hours ago

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May 21, 2025

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White House crypto czar David Sacks says stablecoin bill will unlock 'trillions' for U.S. Treasury

U.S. President Donald Trump sits next to Crypto czar David Sacks at the White House Crypto Summit at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 7, 2025.

Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters

President Donald Trump‘s top crypto and AI advisor David Sacks said Wednesday that the administration expects the stablecoin legislation moving through the Senate to pass with “significant bipartisan support,” and claimed it could unlock demand for U.S. Treasuries.

“We already have over $200 billion in stablecoins — it’s just unregulated,” Sacks told CNBC’s “Closing Bell Overtime.” “If we provide the legal clarity and legal framework for this, I think we could create trillions of dollars of demand for our Treasuries practically overnight, very quickly.”

The GENIUS Act — a bill to regulate stablecoins — cleared a key procedural vote in the Senate. With 15 Democrats voting for the bill to pass the cloture threshold this week, the proponents have the votes necessary to avoid a filibuster.

“We have every expectation now that it’s going to pass,” added Sacks, though he didn’t answer a question about concerns from Democrats that there aren’t sufficient safeguards in place to keep the president and his family from profiting from legislation.

Read more about tech and crypto from CNBC Pro

Democrats previously rejected the GENIUS Act in part on concern that President Trump’s personal cryptocurrency ventures, including his own meme coin and a stablecoin from his family’s crypto business, created an unprecedented conflict of interest.

Unlike digital assets such as bitcoin, which can trade wildly, stablecoins are a subset of cryptocurrencies whose value is tied to that of a real-world asset, like the U.S. dollar. Bitcoin hit a new record on Wednesday, nearing $110,000.

Tether, which is banked by Cantor Fitzgerald in the U.S., controls more than 60% of the stablecoin market. Deutsche Bank found that stablecoin transactions hit $28 trillion last year, surpassing that of Mastercard and Visa, combined.

Sacks, who has emerged as a powerful policy voice inside Trump’s inner circle, framed the GENIUS Act not just as a crypto breakthrough but as a national economic strategy.

“Stablecoins offer a new, more efficient, cheaper, smoother payment system — new payment rails for the U.S. economy,” he said. “It also extends the dominance of the dollar online.”

The White House has aggressively backed the effort, even as concerns mount over the president’s potential conflicts.

While Sacks sold $200 million in crypto-related holdings before taking his White House job according to a disclosure filing, Trump and his family have been leaning into building a crypto empire.

The Trumps are financial backers of World Liberty Financial, which just launched its own stablecoin — USD1 — backed by Treasuries and dollar deposits.

Abu Dhabi’s MGX investment fund recently pledged $2 billion in USD1 to Binance, the world’s largest digital assets exchange. It’s the company’s largest-ever investment made in crypto.

Still, the path to passage isn’t entirely smooth. Senator Josh Hawley, R-Mo., added a controversial rider to the bill that would cap credit card late fees — what’s seen as a poison pill that could alienate banking allies and stall final approval.

WATCH: Trump’s growing crypto empire raising conflict of interest concerns

Trump's growing crypto empire raising conflict of interest concerns

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Trump wants to kill ENERGY STAR – here’s how that impacts you

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13 hours ago

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May 21, 2025

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Trump wants to kill ENERGY STAR – here's how that impacts you

ENERGY STAR
Image: American Lung Association

The Trump administration wants to pull the plug on ENERGY STAR, the federal program behind those familiar blue labels on energy-efficient appliances, homes, and buildings. Launched in 1992, ENERGY STAR has saved Americans more than $500 billion in energy costs while slashing greenhouse gas emissions.

To dig into what this means for everyday Americans, we spoke with Rebecca Foster, CEO of clean energy nonprofit Vermont Energy Investment Corporation (VEIC), which has spent decades working to make homes, schools, and businesses more energy efficient.

Electrek: What is the ENERGY STAR program, and what are the benefits for consumers?

Rebecca Foster: It’s simple: ENERGY STAR helps customers and businesses save energy and reduce costs. The program does this by clearly labeling which products are energy-efficient options. It’s a certification of confidence – it does not dictate efficiency standards. The program was created in 1992 by President George H.W. Bush and has enjoyed decades of bipartisan support. 

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The brand has become the backbone of energy efficiency across the country. ENERGY STAR is a recognized and reliable mark of efficient appliances and electronics that lower costs and improve indoor air quality. The ENERGY STAR label has also expanded to include efficiency standards for weatherizing homes and certifying when new buildings are constructed to high efficiency standards. Utilities benefit from ENERGY STAR, too – with more efficient appliances and systems plugged in, they are better able to manage the grid and decrease costs for customers.

The main benefit to consumers is significant savings through energy efficiency. A typical home can save around $450 a year on their energy bills by choosing ENERGY STAR-certified products, according to a Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory estimate. Lower-income households spend a greater proportion of their budget on energy, so losing that savings will be felt especially hard by these families. Energy efficiency programs that VEIC administers, including Efficiency Vermont, Efficiency Smart, and the DC Sustainable Energy Utility, have incorporated ENERGY STAR certifications into their rebates and educational materials for decades. The ENERGY STAR certification is an easy way to let people know which products are eligible for rebates and encourage folks to choose the more efficient option by making it more affordable with incentives. Combined, these programs have delivered more than $694 million in customer incentives since 2000, resulting in over $5.6 billion in lifetime customer savings. 

Evaluations of the ENERGY STAR program show it saves US households about $40 billion a year nationwide – and has delivered about $500 billion in savings since it began. All for a program that costs the government just $30 million annually. According to the Consortium for Energy Efficiency‘s 2022 survey, where I worked for over a decade prior to joining VEIC, nearly 90% of US households report recognizing the ENERGY STAR label and almost half (45%) report knowingly purchasing an ENERGY STAR-certified product or home within the last 12 months.

Electrek: How would ending the ENERGY STAR program hurt consumers at a national and regional level?

Rebecca Foster: Efficiency labels and education from ENERGY STAR leads to more affordable energy bills for customers. Ending the program means less clarity and guidance for how to choose the more efficient option, which means higher costs month after month. Households are increasingly opting for more efficient, all-electric clean technologies like cold climate heat pumps for heating/cooling and EVs for their transportation needs. That means efficiency will become even more important for households to maintain lower electricity use. So, losing ENERGY STAR now will really cost Americans more in the short and long term.

Regionally and on a local level, getting rid of ENERGY STAR could disrupt energy efficiency programs run by states, utilities, and third-party administrators that rely on the ENERGY STAR label for rebates. It could also hurt manufacturers, distributors, and contractors who have built their businesses around providing and installing more efficient equipment. Existing lists of qualified products will quickly become out of date as new models and new technology enter the market. We could see programs in different states or run by different entities come up with confusing or competing standards for their rebates, making it more difficult for people to save energy. 

All of these impacts hurt consumers, especially at a time when families and businesses are already struggling to keep up with rising costs. 

Electrek: What sort of impact would ending this program have on the grid?

Rebecca Foster: A stable electric grid is more important than ever as we see growing electricity demand due to data centers and AI and an increasing reliance on electricity to meet more of our daily needs. ENERGY STAR has been the backbone of energy efficiency across the country for decades, and it’s delivered the more efficient lighting, appliances, and heating systems that are in use today in countless homes. Efficiency is a major reason why US electricity demand has been flat for the last two decades, according to the EIA.

As we see the electrification of our transportation and heating sectors, we’re also going to see unprecedented growth in electricity demand – an 11% increase in New England alone over the next decade, according to ISO New England. That’s part of a 50% increase in demand nationally by 2050, according to the National Electrical Manufacturers Association.

Losing ENERGY STAR would slow down and complicate management of the grid because efficiency contributes to a stable and optimized grid. It also helps avoid the costly expansion of transmission projects by reducing demand without asking customers to make large behavioral changes. 

A more efficient grid can also avoid investing in new fossil fuel power generation, like natural gas power plants, helping meet state and regional goals for clean energy and emissions reductions. ENERGY STAR is a great tool for realizing an efficient, electrified future. Ending the program will put a greater burden on grid operators and utilities by taking away one of the most effective tools in the toolbox for addressing rising energy demand: customer participation.

Rebecca Foster is VEIC’s CEO. Heading up the executive leadership team, Rebecca guides the nonprofit’s strategic planning, business development, and performance across its contracts nationwide. With nearly 25 years of experience in the clean energy industry, Rebecca is a seasoned leader dedicated to the organization’s mission of generating the energy solutions the world needs.

VEIC is a national clean energy nonprofit that delivers high-impact energy solutions focused on equity and innovation. Since 1986, VEIC has been recognized as a leader in decarbonization strategies, working with governments, utilities, foundations, and businesses to reduce GHG emissions and create a sustainable energy system that benefits everyone.

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