Keeping power plants open means higher costs, more emissions

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.

FOSSIL FUELS

• The Trump administration’s orders keeping fossil-fueled power plants in Pennsylvania and Michigan open beyond their planned retirement dates will not help grid reliability, but will drive up costs and worsen climate pollution, say groups challenging the order. (Canary Media)

• The possible revitalization of natural gas pipeline projects in New York is the product of a ​“unseemly, tawdry political shakedown” by the Trump administration, opponents argue. (E&E News)

• As Massachusetts attempts to transition away from fossil fuel use, utilities and advocates argue over whether every customer in a utility territory has the right to receive natural gas service. (CommonWealth Beacon)

• The head of New York’s energy authority acknowledges that the state will need to rely on fossil fuels longer than planned, as economic realities slow the transition to zero-emissions power. (Spectrum News)

FEDERAL ACTION

• The newly enacted federal budget bill will drive New Jersey’s already-high energy costs up even further, according to Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy. (Gothamist)

• In Maine, solar installers prepare for several months of intense work followed by a lot of uncertainty as federal incentives for residential solar are set to expire within months. (Portland Press Herald)

• The end of federal tax credits could also compromise solar and wind development in New York, as well as the state’s plans to build three gigawatts of solar and battery capacity in coming years. (New York Focus)

• A popular, bipartisan program helping fund solar installations on Pennsylvania schools faces two serious roadblocks: the looming loss of federal tax credits and questions about future state funding. (Spotlight PA)

TRANSPORTATION

• Massachusetts lawmakers consider a bill that would attempt to reduce the number of miles residents drive, but skeptics argue such a plan could violate drivers’ privacy and be the first step toward imposing a tax on vehicle mileage. (GBH)

BUILDINGS

• Cities can reduce the climate impact of building operations by implementing rules like Boston’s emissions reductions guidelines or New York and Cambridge’s emissions reporting requirements, according to a new building decarbonization roadmap. (Utility Dive)

GRID

• New England’s grid operator says a decade-long downturn in electricity consumption is coming to an end and predicts an 11% increase in demand by 2034. (CommonWealth Beacon)

• As grid operator PJM prepares for a new supply auction, New Jersey state lawmakers ask the organization what it will do to prevent a repeat of the soaring power prices the state is dealing with this summer. (New Jersey Monitor)

COMMENTARY

• The next mayor of New York City could improve grid reliability, lower emissions, and make energy affordable by creating a municipal virtual power plant including public housing units, city-owned buildings, and fleet EVs, says a former city official. (City Limits)