Continued turbulence for offshore wind

This roundup of energy news headlines comes from our Northeast Energy News newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning.

OFFSHORE WIND

• The Trump administration rescinds the designation of ​“wind energy areas” on 3.5 million acres of federal waters — including areas off Maine and New York — as the president continues to reverse Biden-era policies intended to support offshore wind development. (Associated Press)

• A coalition of fishing groups ask the U.S. Interior Department to take another look at what it calls the Biden administration’s ​“rushed” approval of the Vineyard Wind project off Massachusetts. (E&E News)

• Journalists take a boat around the Vineyard Wind Installation and spot no more than nine turbines spinning at once, a lower number than the 17 the project’s parent company has reported. (CAI)

• Two Cape Cod state lawmakers say legislation that would require offshore wind developers to work more closely with local communities is about improving transparency and accountability, not opposing renewables. (Cape Cod Times)

ELECTRIFICATION

• New York is set to become the first state to ban fossil fuel use in new construction, but opponents are seeking federal intervention to stop the rules from taking effect. (Canary Media)

FEDERAL ACTION

• Environmental groups ask a federal court to reject the Trump administration’s plan to give Pennsylvania’s U.S. Steel and Ohio’s Cleveland Cliffs more time to meet stricter air pollution limits, arguing that the order violates the federal Clean Air Act. (E&E News)

• The U.S. EPA’s plan to revoke its own finding that greenhouse gas emissions endanger public health could hurt Connecticut’s efforts to improve its air quality, which is among the worst in the country. (Connecticut Public)

NUCLEAR

• More than 100 people attend a public meeting to share with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission their thoughts about the restarting of the nuclear reactor at Three Mile Island, with some worried about safety and public health and others optimistic about job creation and economic opportunities. (Pennsylvania Capital-Star)

• New York utility regulators propose a 20-year extension for a program subsidizing nuclear power generation as progress on other clean energy resources falters. (RTO Insider)

MICROGRIDS

• A microgrid including a 5 MW battery, solar panels, and a natural gas generator will provide backup power for two schools in a Boston suburb and help keep peak demand down. (PV Magazine)

POLITICS

• Climate advocacy groups in New York City are coalescing in support of mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, arguing that his message of affordability is powerfully linked to environmental justice and other climate issues. (Inside Climate News)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• A Connecticut engineering and manufacturing company that makes EV charging stations partners with an Italian company on plans to produce high-end electric motorcycles in the U.S. (Hartford Courant)

• New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announces $21 million in funding for zero-emissions mobility projects including e-scooters, EV ridesharing, and on-demand electric public transit. (news release)

NEW FROM CANARY 

• Chart: The clean-energy manufacturing boom is going bust — Dan McCarthy

• North Carolina approves Duke Energy plan to let customers access their data — Elizabeth Ouzts

• HB 6 regulatory cases weigh what FirstEnergy’s Ohio utilities should pay — Kathiann M. Kowalski

• We know how to decarbonize energy. The food sector should take notes. — Michael Grunwald

• A pioneering​‘second-life’ battery startup begins major Texas expansion — Julian Spector