Maryland coal plant to close in 2024

COAL: The owner of the 205 MW Warrior Run coal-fired power plant in western Maryland announces the facility will no longer generate electricity starting June 2024. (Baltimore Sun)

BUILDINGS:

• As Maine drafts plans to use its Inflation Reduction Act funds, state officials hope the money will get heat pumps to more people, especially in multifamily housing. (Energy News Network)
• New York City Football Club intends to build the first all-electric stadium in its soccer league and in the city, utilizing solar and energy efficiency measures. (news release)

PIPELINES:

• Pennsylvania has fined Energy Transfer and subsidiary Sunoco at least $42 million since 2018 over pollution stemming from Mariner East II pipeline construction. (Spotlight PA)
• New Hampshire’s top court decides Liberty Utilities cannot charge ratepayers for the pre-development costs of a never-built gas pipeline and a liquefied natural gas storage facility. (New Hampshire Bulletin)

GRID:

• An analysis of 2032 reliability on the New England grid shows an increasing risk of insufficient power starting in 2027. (RTO Insider, subscription)
• Using $50 million in federal funds, a new pilot program will examine whether installing batteries in 2,000 homes is a cost-effective way to make the grid more resilient. (WBUR)

OFFSHORE WIND:

• Barnstable, Massachusetts, delays an expected in-person meeting between town leaders and Avangrid Renewables offshore wind executives until the town’s newly elected officials take office. (Cape Cod Times)
• Recently canceled offshore wind projects in New Jersey raise questions as to whether the renewable energy source is the future of clean energy. (Politico)
• A group of labor and environmental groups announces their joint support of a new port in the Gulf of Maine to help develop offshore wind projects faster. (Maine Morning Star)

SOLAR:

• Groton, Connecticut, plans to issue a request for proposals for a 5 MW capped landfill solar project after a consultant’s report finds it would cover most of the town’s electric bills. (CT Examiner)
• A small upstate New York town considers setting a moratorium on new solar projects. (NNY360)

CLEAN TECH:

• A nonprofit clean tech accelerator run by New York University says its development approach has led to an 88% success rate among its startups. (Energy Mix)
• New York says it has reached a record-level of clean energy employment, with the industry employing 171,000 workers as of the end of last year. (news release)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Connecticut Republicans call a proposal to phase out gasoline vehicles and only sell zero-emission models by 2035 an imprudent policy given high costs and a lack of charging stations. (Hartford Courant)

POLICY: Maryland’s governor creates two new positions to combat climate change: the state’s first chief sustainability officer and first chief resilience officer. (Associated Press)

UTILITIES: In New York, the Monroe County Legislature declines to approve funds to study whether a public utility should be formed with the assets of Rochester Gas and Electric, despite thousands of petition signatures. (Rochester Beacon)