Grid lessons from Winter Storm Fern

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.

GRID

• The New England grid’s response to Winter Storm Fern and the frigid temperatures that preceded it offers insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the system. (Canary Media)

• The U.S. Energy Department extends emergency orders allowing power plants in the PJM territory to operate at their maximum levels as freezing temperatures continue in the mid-Atlantic. (E&E News)

OFFSHORE WIND

• The frequent work stoppages caused by the Trump administration’s attacks on offshore wind leave boat operators who were counting on offshore wind work facing uncertain futures. (E&E News)

FOSSIL FUELS

• An appeals court weighs whether New York City and New York state’s laws restricting new natural gas infrastructure are barred by federal law. (E&E News)

LEGISLATION

• Pennsylvania state lawmakers introduce a bill that would strengthen the response to and accountability for hazardous substance spills, following a jet fuel pipeline leak earlier this year that contaminated at least six private drinking wells. (WHYY)

• Maryland climate advocates ramp up their fight against state legislators’ plan to balance the budget by taking $292 million from a fund intended to support renewable power and lower energy bills. (Maryland Matters)

• New Hampshire’s House energy committee hears testimony on a bill that would define fossil fuels as ​“green energy,” and includes many requirements that would be impossible to implement in the state’s deregulated electricity market. (E&E News)

• The New Hampshire state Senate advances a bill that would kill utilities’ plans — seven years in the making — to create an energy usage data hub that supporters say would help utilities identify problems, boost efficiency, and lower costs. (New Hampshire Bulletin)

• In Delaware, where five proposed data centers could double the state’s power usage, the state House will vote on a bill that would require data centers to pay more for their electricity. (Spotlight Delaware)

AFFORDABILITY

• Continuing cold temperatures in the Northeast could erode the impact of Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey’s plan to provide discounts of 25% on customers’ winter electric bills and 10% on gas bills. (CommonWealth Beacon)

CLEAN ENERGY

• Renewable resources provided a lower percentage of power to the New York grid in 2024 than in 2014, largely due to a decrease in hydropower, a new report finds. (RTO Insider)

• City leaders in Bridgeport, Connecticut, ask the developers of a fuel cell clean energy project to improve the appearance of the proposed facility, which the mayor says is currently ​“an absolute monstrosity.” (News 12)

COMMENTARY

• Following Pennsylvania’s decision not to participate in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the state should implement its own cap-and-trade program so it will not be left without any mechanism to limit the emissions of power plants, says a clean air advocate. (Pennsylvania Capital-Star)