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Georgia solar EPA

Georgia BRIGHT, a statewide initiative to deliver affordable solar, kicked off its “No-Cost Solar Plan” in Atlanta yesterday, giving qualified homeowners a shot at roughly 400 fully prepaid rooftop-solar systems with zero upfront or maintenance costs. However, Georgia Bright’s No-Cost Solar Plan may lose its $156 million in grant money if the EPA steals back the Solar for All program’s entire $7 billion, which funded it.

On Earth Day (April 22) 2024, the Georgia BRIGHT Communities Coalition, including lead applicant Capital Good Fund, along with coalition member cities, Atlanta, Savannah, and Decatur, and dozens of other Georgia stakeholders, was allocated $156 million from Solar for All to bring solar to thousands of households statewide between now and mid-2029.

Families that earn 80% or less of their county’s Area Median Income can enter a drawing for the No-Cost Solar Plan now; a second drawing for another 400 systems is set for spring 2026.

“As the cost of living increases across our most vulnerable communities, this program will deliver significant savings to the households that need it most,” said Alicia Brown, director of Georgia BRIGHT.

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Those savings are already showing up. Pilot participant Christine Difeliciantonio saw her power bill plunge on her Columbus home from $224 in June 2024 to $50 in June 2025 after her panels came online, and she says the added resilience eases her mind during storms.

Nonprofits are benefiting, too. Trees Atlanta had 140 panels installed on their headquarters last November in the pilot program; the rooftop array went live in March and is on track to save about $3,000 a year, the carbon equivalent of planting 28,000 trees over 25 years.

What’s next for Georgia BRIGHT …

Georgia BRIGHT’s other programs in the works include its Residential Solar Savings Plan, offering custom rooftop installs with no upfront cost and guaranteeing households at least 20% savings on day one after factoring in the modest monthly payments. Georgia BRIGHT is also developing Community Benefit Solar, which lets businesses, houses of worship, and apartment buildings go solar so long as they share part of the financial benefits – think grocery gift cards, help with utility bills, discounted daycare, or rent relief – with eligible neighbors for five years. Finally, a Utility-Led Community Solar initiative will send grants to local utilities so they can run shared-solar programs designed specifically for low-income customers.

These programs really make a difference in a state like Georgia, which doesn’t offer any other solar incentives.

… if the EPA doesn’t steal its money

The New York Times reported today that the Trump-led EPA is drafting letters to claw back the entire $7 billion Solar for All pot from 49 states, plus 11 nonprofit groups and Native American tribes. The grant money was awarded under President Biden’s 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. According to the Times‘ sources, the EPA plans to send termination notices this week, effectively erasing solar savings for nearly a million low-income families before the panels ever land on their roofs.

Legal groups are already gearing up for the fight. “If leaders in the Trump administration move forward with this unlawful attempt to strip critical funding from communities across the United States, we will see them in court,” Kym Meyer of the Southern Environmental Law Center told the Times.

If the EPA pulls the trigger on this cruel, senseless plan to steal solar from lower-income communities, it wouldn’t just kneecap Georgia’s new program – it would pull the rug out from under low-income solar projects nationwide. The fight over Solar for All is officially on. How about that energy emergency that Trump declared, eh?

Read more: This metro Atlanta factory roof is now a solar record-breaker

The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them. 

Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.

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Bluetti’s new Elite 30 V2 288Wh station gets first savings starting from $199, Segway F3 smart eKickScooter $750, NIU e-scooter sale, more

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August 6, 2025

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Bluetti's new Elite 30 V2 288Wh station gets first savings starting from 9, Segway F3 smart eKickScooter 0, NIU e-scooter sale, more

Headlining today’s Green Deals is the first discount hitting Bluetti’s new Elite 30 V2 Portable Power Station, which also has an additional solar bundle offer starting from $199. We also spotted the first post-tariff discount from Segway on its new Ninebot F3 Electric KickScooter to $750, as well as NIU’s Fan-tastic Day Sale that is taking up to 42% off its KQi lineup of scooters, including the KQi 300X All-Terrain Suspension Electric Scooter that is back at the best price of 2025 for $750, among others. We also have a new low price on Greenworks’ 82V Commercial 20-inch Cordless Chainsaw kit and a one-day-only discount on Worx’s 12A 7.5-inch Edger/Trencher, and more waiting for you below. Plus, all the hangover savings are at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s Anker SOLIX Summer Power Sale offers, Ride1Up’s increased e-bike savings, 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.

Get up to $200 in first savings on Bluetti’s new Elite 30 V2 portable 288Wh LiFePO4 power station starting from $199

Back on Friday, Bluetti launched its new Apex 300 Versatile Power Station with up to $3,150 in exclusive savings that has had fans of the brand buzzing, while also eclipsing another new and more compact release. Now, with its latest Solar Generator Sale, Bluetti is cutting the cost on its Elite 30 V2 Portable Power Station to $199 shipped, with that price matching at Amazon for Prime members, bringing it down from the $299 price tag. It just hit the market at the top of the month, but as I said, its release was overshadowed by the larger and more expansive Apex 300 unit and its bundles. You can score a $100 markdown now, though, which sets the bar for future discounts, with a solar bundle option for this model that tacks on a 100W panel for $398 shipped, down from $598.

While larger solar generator setups can help through many situations, more and more people are finding convenience in owning smaller backup power solutions, especially here in NYC, with many folks having limited space to keep them. That’s where units like Bluetti’s Elite 30 V2 Portable Power Station come in, which offers a 288Wh LiFePO4 capacity to cover personal device charging with 600W of steady output that can ramp as high as 1,500W.

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Bluetti’s Elite 30 V2 power station has nine different port options to cover all the bases: two AC outlets, two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, two DC ports, and a car port. It even beats out many counterparts/competitors of the same size range with five ways to recharge its battery: via a standard outlet, utilizing up to a max 200W solar input, using both an outlet and solar panels together, connecting a generator, or using your car’s auxiliary port.

You can get the full rundown on Bluetti’s other new and more expansive release, the Apex 300 Versatile Power Station with up to $3,150 in exclusive savings across several bundle options – all starting from $1,439.

man riding down street on Segway Ninebot F3 Electric KickScooter

Segway’s Ninebot F3 smart eKickScooter with Apple Find My + proximity locking gets first post-tariff cut to $750

Segway is offering a special promotional discount through August 17 on its new Ninebot F3 Electric KickScooter at $749.99 shipped, after using the code F3AUG100OFF at checkout, which beats out Amazon’s pricing by $50.This model launched back in April carrying a $850 original price tag (which Amazon still keeps it listed for) and has since hiked up to a $1,000 MSRP direct from the brand after May’s tariff hikes. The two pre-tariff discounts we saw took the costs down to $700 and $600 back in April, and while it may not be falling that low any anytime soon again, you’re still looking at a solid $100 savings from its starting rate for the third-lowest price we have tracked.

If you want to learn more about this model, be sure to check out our original coverage of this ongoing deal here.

man standing on NIU KQi 300X all-terrain suspension electric scooter

NIU drops the KQi 300X all-terrain e-scooter with a 37-mile range and regen brakes to $750 in latest sale

NIU has launched its Fan-tastic Day Sale through August 17 that is taking up to 42% off its KQi e-scooter lineup. Some of the brand’s models are still out of stock from last month, but among those still available, we spotted the KQi 300X All-Terrain Suspension Electric Scooter at $749.99 shipped, while also matching in price at Amazon. While it carries a $1,299 MSRP normally, at Amazon we’ve been seeing it mostly staying between $1,049 and $1,198, with discounts having been slowly ramping up over the course of the year. You’re looking at the best price of 2025, which saves you $549 off the MSRP and has only been beaten out by the $731 low we last saw pop up in October 2024.

If you want to learn more about this model or the other e-scooter deals, be sure to check out our original coverage of this sale here.

man uses Greenworks 82V 20-inch cordless chainsaw to fell tree

Add commercial-grade power to your arsenal with Greenworks’ 82V 20-inch cordless chainsaw at a new $430 low

Amazon is now offering the Greenworks Commercial 82V 20-inch Cordless Chainsaw for $429.99 shipped. While it carries a $600 MSRP tag directly from the brand, where it’s currently priced at, we’ve seen it keep lower to $500 at Amazon. It’s been on the market for six months now, with the discounts we’ve spotted only taken the costs down to $450 until today. Now, with the 20% markdown here, you’ll save $70 while equipping your arsenal with commercial-grade power.

If you want to learn more about this commercial-grade chainsaw, be sure to check out our original coverage of this deal here.

Worx's 12A 7.5-inch Lawn Edger/Trencher creating perfect line into lawn

Keep uniform lines around yard and gardens with Worx’s 12A 7.5-inch edger/trencher at $90 (Today only)

As part of its Deals of the Day, Best Buy is offering the Worx 12A 7.5-inch Edger/Trencher for $89.99 shipped, with this model being out of stock on Amazon and sitting at a higher $140 MSRP directly from Worx’s website. It normally fetches $130 at full price here, with discounts mostly keeping the costs between $110 and $100 during 2025, though we have seen it go as low as $75 during Prime Day. You’re looking at the fourth-lowest overall price that we have tracked and the third-lowest of the year, with the deal today saving you $40 off the going rate for the rest of the day only.

If you want to learn more about this edger/trencher, be sure to check out our original coverage of this one-day-only deal here.

Best Summer 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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Ford officially opens its new EV design center where its midsize electric pickup will come to life

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August 6, 2025

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Ford officially opens its new EV design center where its midsize electric pickup will come to life

Ford-EV-design-center

Ford’s secret “skunkworks” team in California is no longer a secret and has grown significantly over the past year. Filled with former Tesla, Rivian, and Apple engineers, Ford has given the team a new, two-building EV design center to develop its upcoming lower-cost, midsize models.

Ford opens its new EV Design Center in Long Beach

The new campus in Long Beach, California, officially opened its doors on Tuesday. Ford told reporters that the new 250,000-square-foot site will become the company’s main design and innovation hub in Southern California.

Although the facility was built 95 years ago to expand production of Ford’s first vehicle, the Model A, it was later converted for military use during World War II.

Now, it will be used to shape the future of Ford. Ann Diep, a senior technical program manager at Ford, said the company will “develop a new generation of electric vehicles people are going to love” at the facility.

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After nearly a decade of launching products for Apple, Diep is now tasked with developing Ford’s new lineup of electric vehicles.

The team is led by Alan Clarke, who worked at Tesla for over a decade. Clark’s team comprises former employees from Tesla, Rivian, Lucid, and Apple, creating an EV platform that will power Ford’s upcoming lineup of smaller, more affordable models.

Ford-EV-design-center
Ford opens new EV design center in Long Beach, California (Source: Ford)

Benchmarking EV leaders to cut costs

Last year, Ford’s CEO, Jim Farley, said the team was benchmarking costs “against the best competitors in the world,” in particular, Chinese brands.

According to Farley, the first EV based on the platform will be a midsize electric pickup that will “match the cost structure of Chinese OEMs building in Mexico.” It’s scheduled to launch in 2027. Ford will use LFP batteries to reduce costs, which will be manufactured at its new battery plant in Michigan, but licensed from China’s CATL.

Ford-EV-design-center
2025 Ford F-150 Lightning (Source: Ford)

We learned the platform will support eight different body styles, including trucks, crossovers, SUVs, and possibly sedans.

During a “candid dinner discussion” with lead Bernstein analyst Daniel Roeska in June, Lisa Drake, Ford’s vice president of tech platform programs and EV systems, offered a few insights.

Ford-EV-design-center
Ford Mustang Mach-E (left) and F-150 Lightning (right) (Source: Ford)

Roeska told investors (via Axios) that “Lisa Drake was explicit: Ford intends to match the cost structure of leading Chinese players.” The memo added “that means not just battery pricing, but full system cost from chassis and thermal systems to inverters and electronics.”

Ford will reveal more about its “plans to design and build a breakthrough electric vehicle and platform in the US,” on August 11.

Farley is hyping it up as the company’s next “Model T moment,” adding that it’s “a chance to bring in a new family of vehicles” that will shape the future of Ford.

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Trump global trade deal energy export wins are at odds with domestic shipbuilding reality

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August 6, 2025

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Trump global trade deal energy export wins are at odds with domestic shipbuilding reality

A liquefied natural gas tanker is tugged toward a thermal power station in Futtsu, east of Tokyo.

Issei Kato | Reuters

The Trump administration is touting commitments by foreign nations for future large purchases of U.S. energy as part of recent trade deal frameworks, including with the EU, Indonesia, and South Korea, but a separate recent mandate from the U.S. Trade Representative to promote domestic shipbuilding may stand in the way of making those liquified natural gas shipments reality.

The USTR policy mandates that 1% of U.S. LNG exports be carried on U.S.-flagged ships starting in April 2028, and a year later, 1% needs to be transported on U.S.-built ships. Subsequent annual increases of 1% would reach a total of 15% of U.S. LNG required to be on U.S.-built vessels by 2047.

“The requirement of U.S.-built ships to move the country’s LNG and crude is problematic,” said Jason Feer, global head of business intelligence for Poten & Partners, a company specializing in energy market analysis and consulting, particularly in the LNG sector.

The U.S. government’s new shipbuilding policy was undertaken as part of an investigation into China’s dominance in the shipbuilding industry, as part of the broader national security concerns of the U.S. government (the Biden administration was pursuing the issue as well and released a report in January 2025 stating its recommendations). China manufactures as much as 75%-80% of global freight fleets. In April, Trump announced the new USTR policy to rebuild America’s shipbuilding industry.

On Capitol Hill, Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Senator Todd Young (R-IN), Representative John Garamendi (D-CA-8), and Representative Trent Kelly (R-MS-1) introduced the Shipbuilding and Harbor Infrastructure for Prosperity and Security (SHIPS) for America Act to close the gap with international builders through a series of programs.

There is only one U.S.-flagged LNG vessel currently operating, Crowley’s American Energy, but it was made in France in 1994 and began service in March 2025 to carry LNG from the U.S. Gulf Coast to Puerto Rico. It is a Jones Act vessel, which means that, based on the 1920 maritime commerce law covering shipments between U.S. ports, it needs to be staffed by a U.S. captain and crew, and registered in the U.S., to be U.S.-flagged.

The current number of LNG carriers operating globally is 682, according to Poten & Partners. Only one of those vessels, the LNG Aquarius, was built by the United States. The LNG Aquarius was ordered on July 1, 1974, and delivered by General Dynamics on June 7, 1977. The vessel currently sails under the Indonesian flag, based on MarineTraffic vessel information.

By 2047, Poten & Partner estimates the U.S. would need 45 vessels to move the 15% of LNG required by the USTR guidelines. Currently, there is only one U.S. vessel on the global order books out of a total of 331 planned vessels, Feer said. On paper, he added, the number of LNG vessels on the order books “looks good” to support a U.S. energy export expansion. But under the new USTR guidelines, these vessels would not be eligible.

Hanwha Shipping, a U.S. subsidiary of South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean, is now building a domestic liquefied natural gas carrier through its affiliate, Hanwha Philly Shipyard. This vessel will be the first U.S.-ordered, export market-viable LNG carrier in almost 50 years. A second possible LNG vessel could also be ordered.

Based on the history of LNG shipbuilding, it takes approximately two and a half years for an LNG vessel to be built.

“Globally, you can build a lot of ships to support an expansion, but the problem is it has to be built in a U.S. shipyard, and the U.S. has not built a commercial ocean-going vessel in decades,” said Feer. “In that time, we have lost a lot of shipbuilding capacity, and the yards we have open are used for building Jones Act domestic ships and the Navy.”

Another hurdle, Feer said, is the constraints in hiring skilled labor. “There are not enough craft workers — pipefitters, carpenters, welders. Trying to build all of this, on top of a set deadline, is going to be a huge challenge,” he said.

The costs associated with that skilled labor will also be a factor. It costs around $260 million to build an LNG vessel, according to industry estimates. A U.S.-made vessel can be approximately two to four times more expensive. 

S&P Global: 'No alternative' to China-built ships which control 60% of global shipbuilding capacity

Feer says there needs to be more clarity on what constitutes a U.S.-made vessel within the USTR mandate.

“Could the majority of the vessel be manufactured overseas and completed in the U.S.? Is it a U.S.-made engine? How many of the LNG vessels made by Hanwha would be made in Korea and finished here? It is unclear how feasible the USTR mandate is,” he said.

Louis Sola, former Federal Maritime Commission Commissioner appointed by President Trump, and now a partner at lobbying firm Thorn Run Partners, tells CNBC the math doesn’t work.

“The question everyone is asking is simple,” Sola said. “Can the U.S. actually build enough LNG carriers fast enough under the SHIPS Act without shooting ourselves in the foot? We’ll need as many as 50 vessels by 2050. Korean and Japanese yards already take over two years per ship and are booked solid, and we don’t currently build this class here whatsoever,” he added.

The USTR did not respond to a request for comment.

“Without some common-sense flexibility or a phased-in approach, the math just doesn’t add up. We risk bottling up our own LNG exports and opening the market to the competition right when our allies need American energy the most,” Sola said. 

According to BIMCO, the largest association for global ship owners, U.S. exports comprise up to 27.5% and 9.5% of global LNG and crude tanker demand, respectively. The U.S. predominantly uses South Korean LNG vessels to move the commodity.

Overall, 78% of the LNG fleet is built in South Korea, while 13% and 7% are from Japan and China, respectively, according to BIMCO. South Korean shipyards also dominate the order book, with 64% of capacity on order, but Chinese shipyards are increasingly getting orders and now have 32% of capacity on order.

Reflagging of vessels, USTR mandate waivers

Niels Rasmussen, chief shipping analyst for BIMCO, says one potential workaround is foreign-built ships that can currently be reflagged under specific conditions.

These ships must be owned by U.S. citizens or entities and qualify for one of the following programs: the Maritime Security Program, Cable Security Fleet, Tanker Security Fleet, Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement, or Ready Reserve Fleet. “The SHIPS Act would also permit the reflagging of foreign-built ships for inclusion in the new Strategic Commercial Fleet Program (SCFP) for a seven-year period, which can be extended twice,” said Rasmussen

As U.S.-built and flagged ships become available, they will replace foreign-built ships in the 250-ship SCFP fleet. However, foreign-built LNG tankers in the SCFP fleet would seemingly not satisfy USTR LNG export and would require a waiver to be able to export LNG, he said.

According to shipping consultant Clarkson’s, 2025 will see a record delivery of LNG vessels.

In addition to South Korea’s lead position in ship orders, Swiss marine engine company WinGD has the most popular engine, and French engineering company Gaztransport & Technigaz, which specializes in membrane containment systems for liquefied natural gas (LNG) and other cryogenic gases, is the dominant containment system being used in the new vessels.

The U.S. may have to fall back on a waiver provision in the USTR mandate, according to energy experts.

The waiver provision, if used, would increase the cost of vessel components by 25%, but may be the best option relative to an unreasonable delay in ship availability, said Andrew Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates.

Lipow said if there are not enough LNG vessels, a situation which could impact LNG production and crude production, the use of waivers would need to be considered.

“Oil wells also produce some associated natural gas with it so this can also impact U.S. oil production,” said Lipow. “The administration will not want to put the country in a situation where they would have to shut in production. If the markets are fearful that the U.S. does not have the ability to export LNG, prices could go down, and that would most likely lead to a waiver,” he added.

Lipow noted that the use of waivers has been seen before in Jones Act vessels, so a foreign-flag vessel could transport U.S. gasoline between two U.S. ports. “There is precedent for waivers on foreign-flag vessels to mitigate supply disruptions,” he said.

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