High stakes as Democratic leaders stand their ground, demanding Republicans tie the extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies to their short-term spending bill or risk a government shutdown. President Trump calls their demands unserious and ridiculous, but Democrats say it's actually crucial. Because of the Republican refusal to address the Affordable Care Act tax credit issue, at least 20 million Americans are about to experience dramatic increases in their health care premiums, co-pays, and deductibles.> ...

Well, right now the White House is telling federal agencies to prepare for another possible round of mass firings unless Congress can pass a measure by the end of Tuesday, which is when government funding is set to expire. As we said, one point of contention dividing the two parties is funding for healthcare. For more on that, let's bring in former Treasury official and Morning Joe economic analyst Steve Ratner.Steve, your first chart takes us through projections on how many Americans could lose their healt ...

Many federal home-energy tax credits will expire at the end of the year. Some consumers could benefit from doing something now. https://t.co/08Z5arqfOw ...

The latest on President Trump's meeting Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy and updates on writing the rules on tax credits from the One Big Beautiful Bll https://t.co/d3yTdeph8A ...

Rare Earths & Critical Minerals Supply Chain - Establishing a domestic rare earth magnet manufacturing business is possible but faces challenges [1] - Building the infrastructure for harvesting and refining rare earths takes considerable time, impacting EV production [2] - Government intervention is warranted in cases of market failure or negative externalities related to public goods like climate [4][5] - Ford and other U S manufacturers have experienced production pauses due to rare earth supply shortages [6] - The U S refining infrastructure for rare earths is estimated to be up to speed within 5 to 10 years [7] Electric Vehicle (EV) Market & Policy - The transition to EVs accelerated after 2010, reaching approximately 10% market share [8] - IRS tax credits have significantly influenced EV sales, with potential slowdowns anticipated without them [8][9] - Domestic sourcing of critical minerals is crucial for climate and national security reasons [9] - The Trump administration invested in private industry, such as MP Materials, to advance domestic rare earth production [3]

Vestas shares rose sharply after guidance issued by the Treasury Department and IRS on tax credits related was deemed to be far less onerous than feared https://t.co/tIHLNhbI6g ...

The Trump administration tightened long-standing eligibility requirements for clean energy tax credits, a move that could threaten the viability of hundreds of wind and solar energy projects under development https://t.co/yHkiMuemWy ...

Load Growth Opportunities - Alliant Energy anticipates a greater than 30% increase in projected demand by 2030, using a 2024 base of approximately 6 GW maximum demand[7] - The company has contracted peak demand of +2.1 GW, representing potential load served through a combination of existing or new resources, short-term market purchases, and/or load flexibility[6,9] - Alliant Energy projects electric sales growth at a CAGR of 9-10% from 2025-2030[6] Tax Credits and Financing - Alliant Energy expects approximately $350 million of tax credits to be generated and transferred in 2025[26] - The company anticipates generating $1.5 billion in transferable tax credits through 2028, as projects are either already in service or safe harbored[10,13] - Alliant Energy plans to issue approximately $725 million in debt for AE Finance/Parent, $400 million for IPL, and $300 million for WPL in 2025[26] Regulatory and Financial Performance - Alliant Energy reaffirms its 2025 EPS guidance range of $3.15 - $3.25[23] - Q2 2025 earnings per share (EPS) were $0.68, compared to $0.57 ongoing earnings per share in Q2 2024[20] - The company plans approximately 800 MW of energy storage in service by 2027 and aims to safe harbor 100% of approximately 1,200 MW of new wind capacity[12]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported second quarter 2025 earnings of $1.01 per share, an increase from $0.97 per share in 2024, with expectations for 2025 diluted earnings per share to be in the range of $4.85 to $5.05 [8][19] - Total normalized retail sales in Missouri increased approximately 1% over the trailing twelve months through June, with industrial sales up more than 2.5% [20][21] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company invested over $2 billion in critical infrastructure during the first half of the year, focusing on strengthening the energy grid and enhancing operational performance [5][17] - The company has signed construction agreements with data center developers representing approximately 2.3 gigawatts of future demand, expected to ramp up in late 2026 and beyond [9][42] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company anticipates approximately 5.5% compound annual sales growth in Missouri from 2025 through 2029, primarily driven by increased data center demand [8][9] - The industrial sector's growth is supported by ongoing manufacturing expansions and the growth of new digital and communication services firms [21] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company's strategy is built on three pillars: prudent investments in rate-regulated energy infrastructure, advocating for responsible energy policies, and optimizing operations for long-term sustainable value [4] - The company has a robust pipeline of investment opportunities exceeding $63 billion, aimed at strengthening the energy grid and powering economic growth [16][17] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the ability to execute the investment plan and strategy across all business segments, expecting strong long-term earnings and dividend growth [17][29] - The company remains focused on building a resilient energy grid, with ongoing investments in upgraded substations and smart technologies to enhance outage detection and recovery [7][12] Other Important Information - The company plans to issue approximately $600 million of common equity each year through 2029 to support its investment plan [24] - Federal energy-related tax credits are expected to provide approximately $1.5 billion in cost savings for customers from 2025 through 2029 [25][26] Q&A Session Summary Question: Data center load and economic development outlook - Management highlighted strong interest and momentum from data center developers, with a robust pipeline of signed construction agreements totaling 2.3 gigawatts [34][36] Question: Turbine slot queue and growth derisking - Management confirmed they are actively securing turbine slots and are confident in meeting service dates for upcoming projects [44][46] Question: Access to gas for plans - Management stated they feel good about their current gas transmission position and the ability to meet future needs with existing infrastructure [49][51] Question: MISO awards and regulatory challenges - Management acknowledged the recent complaint regarding MISO's tranche 2.1 projects but expressed support for the need for transmission investments [68][70] Question: Impact of potential changes in federal renewable policies - Management emphasized their advocacy for business certainty regarding tax credits and expressed confidence in the current legislative framework [74][76]

Solar Energy Growth in Florida - Florida is experiencing a solar energy boom, catching up with Texas in utility-scale solar capacity [3][7] - Florida overtook California in new utility-scale solar capacity in 2024, adding over 3 gigawatts, enough to power around 600,000 homes [8] - Solar makes up roughly 9% of Florida's electricity mix [3] - From 2019 through 2024, Florida ranked number two behind California for the most rooftop residential solar panels installed each year [18][23] Factors Driving Solar Growth - The economics of solar are favorable, making it a cost-effective energy source [3][4][17][18] - A special rule in Florida allows solar farms under 75MW to skip lengthy state-level reviews, speeding up projects and lowering costs [10][24] - Florida Power and Light built over 70% of the state's new solar capacity in 2024 [10] - The Inflation Reduction Act offered a 30% tax credit for large-scale solar [13] Challenges and Risks - Florida still relies on natural gas for 74% of its power [5][19] - The "One Big Beautiful Bill" is phasing out federal tax credits for rooftop and utility-scale solar earlier than planned, raising costs [5][20][21][27] - There is high anti-renewables or anti-climate change sentiment, potentially leading to community opposition [6][24] - The early expiration of tax credits reduces the tax credits available for solar and wind assets [21]