Local offshore wind opponents boosted by national groups

OFFSHORE WIND: Local offshore wind opponents often receive support including strategy advice, talking points, and celebrity guest speakers from national anti-wind groups funded by the fossil fuel industry, according to a new report from Brown University. (ecoRI)

CLIMATE: Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey calls for regional cooperation on clean energy and climate in the Northeast in the face of ​“uncertainty” coming from Washington, D.C. (Boston Globe)

HYDROGEN:

• Environmental justice advocates are frustrated by a lack of transparency and community engagement from the planners of a hydrogen hub intended to stretch from Pennsylvania into the Midwest. (Energy News Network)
• A planned hydrogen hub in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania faces political and economic challenges including opponents worried about environmental impact and a possible lack of customers. (Inside Climate News)

WORKFORCE: New York announces a $45 million partnership with a trade union to create an apprenticeship program that will train workers to meet the growing needs of the clean energy sector. (news release)

EFFICIENCY: New York ski mountains work with National Grid to replace old snowmaking machines with more energy efficient equipment, with one resort cutting its electricity use by 70% last season. (Central New York Business Journal)

ELECTRIFICATION: In New York, some lawmakers and contractors say the state’s plan to ban natural gas hookups in much new construction as of 2026 will have a negative economic impact and make heating less affordable. (WBEN)

TRANSMISSION: A proposed transmission line through Maryland could now connect directly to a Virginia power corridor supplying data centers. (Baltimore Sun, subscription)

COMMENTARY:

• Massachusetts needs to do more to take advantage of a provision that allows nonprofits, municipalities, and state government entities to receive federal tax credit money, says a renewable energy advocate. (Energy News Network)
• ISO New England’s forecast that the region’s grid will have sufficient resources to meet consumer demand this winter is a testament to how well the oft-maligned organization fulfills its responsibility, says a Massachusetts editorial board. (Sentinel and Enterprise)