Judge questions states’ case against Trump wind ban

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

OFFSHORE WIND

• A judge tells the coalition of states challenging the Trump administration’s moratorium on wind development that they need to present more evidence of specific harms the order has caused and the legal violations allegedly committed by federal agencies. (New Bedford Light)

CLIMATE

• President Trump’s attacks on congestion pricing in Manhattan, attempts to stop Empire Wind, and assertive push for natural gas pipelines in New York could topple the state’s already precarious chances of reaching its ambitious climate goals. (E&E News)

POLITICS

• A New York Republican introduces a bill in the U.S. House that would stop state and local governments from banning fossil fuel hookups in new construction or renovations — a proposal many see as an attempt to undermine New York’s plans to move toward total electrification. (WGRZ)

DATA CENTERS

• As Massachusetts waits for a tax exemption for data centers passed last year to attract more of the facilities, environmental and consumer advocates worry that too many such developments could damage the climate and increase the price of power. (Boston Globe)

FOSSIL FUELS

• A controversial proposal to build storage caverns to hold as much as 26.8 million gallons of petroleum under a New Jersey town is heading for final approval, but opponents still hope to stop it. (NJ Spotlight News)

• Johns Hopkins University commits to paying for the cleanup operation now ongoing to deal with 2,000 gallons of diesel fuels that spilled from its hospital facilities into Baltimore Harbor; at least 25 birds and three turtles have been rescued. (Baltimore Sun, WYPR)

SOLAR

• Philadelphia’s city council approves the purchase of solar power from a planned solar farm as the city moves toward its goal of running all municipal facilities and operations on renewable energy by 2030. (WHYY)

• A bill pending in the Pennsylvania Senate would establish statewide decommissioning and bonding requirements for solar projects, a measure some municipal leaders worry would undermine local authority to regulate development. (Fox 56)

CONSUMER PROTECTION

• Massachusetts’ attorney general files legislation that would ban third-party suppliers from selling electricity directly to residential customers, an escalation of Gov. Maura Healey’s proposal to more strictly regulate such companies but still allow them to continue operations. (WWLP)

• New Jersey Democrats announce a $430 million program to defray the increasing cost of power by sending ratepayers as much as $150, though some critics say the plan diverts money from renewable energy development. (New Jersey Monitor)

UTILITIES

• Maine utility regulators consider whether to approve a plan for Unitil to buy Maine Natural Gas, leaving the state with just two natural gas utilities. (Portland Press Herald)

NEW FROM CANARY MEDIA

• Analysts say the Trump administration’s industrial decarbonization funding cuts will cost it the chance to produce cleaner and cheaper materials in the U.S., and will in turn cede jobs overseas, Alexander C. Kaufman reports.

• California curtailed 3,400 GWh of solar power last year, showing the state has the capacity to increase demand via electrification or could build out transmission lines to send that power elsewhere, Dan McCarthy reports.