Killing congestion pricing not backed by law, experts say

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TRANSPORTATION

President Trump’s attempt to kill congestion pricing in New York City is on very shaky legal ground, according to experts: ​“They can’t just say: ​‘Sorry. We changed our mind.’” says one law professor. (New York Times)

OFFSHORE WIND

• BP withdraws its application for a transmission connection for a planned offshore wind farm off New York as the company re-examines its plans for the development in light of market uncertainty caused by federal hostility to offshore wind. (Renews.biz)

• The New Hampshire House approves a bill that pulls back the state’s support for offshore wind, ending the work of two offshore wind committees and removing offshore wind from the mission of a state office. (New Hampshire Bulletin)

• A new poll finds a slim majority of residents in Maryland’s Eastern Shore region support offshore wind and believe it offers environmental benefits and power reliability, even as some coastal communities are fighting intensely against such developments. (CoastTV)

AFFORDABILITY

• Massachusetts regulators order the state’s gas utilities to cut delivery fees by at least enough to reduce overall bills by 5%, saying soaring costs are ​“unsustainable” for residents. (WBUR)

• Delaware lawmakers consider competing bills to redirect funds from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative to provide relief for low- and moderate-income households dealing with soaring energy bills. (CoastTV)

SOLAR

Even if federal funding for low-income solar access is unfrozen, Pennsylvania will also need special approval from the state legislature to accept the money – and some lawmakers aren’t sold on the program. (The Allegheny Front)

EFFICIENCY

A Rhode Island legislator proposes measures to collect energy use and emissions data from buildings to pave the way for the creation of building emissions standards, though a report issued earlier this month claims there are several obstacles to the plan. (Rhode Island Current)

TRANSMISSION

Nearly 200 landowners, nonprofits, and elected officials in Maryland have petitioned to intervene in the approval process for a controversial proposed 70-mile transmission line that would cut through agricultural land. (Baltimore Sun)

STORAGE

More than 100 Staten Island residents crowd into a community meeting to oppose plans for a 5.5-MW battery storage development amid ongoing concerns about the number of battery projects being proposed in the borough. (SILive.com)

COMMENTARY

A Maryland county’s plan to use up to $15 million to claim land by eminent domain to block offshore wind development is a troubling use of taxpayer money and runs counter to the best interests of a region directly threatened by climate change, says an area resident. (Maryland Matters)