Maryland fills in federal efficiency funding gaps

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.

ELECTRIFICATION

• Maryland’s new energy policy overhaul means it has plenty of state money to spend on heat pump incentives, even as the Trump administration prohibits the use of federal funds for switching from fossil fuels to electric appliances for heating and cooling. (WYPR)

DATA CENTERS

• Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey declares that the state will not accept applications for data center tax exemptions ​“until we have strong protections in place … against higher gas and electric bills.” (WGBH/ State House News Service)

NUCLEAR

• The two oldest nuclear plants in the U.S., both more than 50 years old and both in upstate New York, ask federal regulators for permission to operate until 2049. (Syracuse.com)

• State officials and energy industry representatives gather in New Hampshire to discuss the creation of a roadmap for future nuclear expansion in the state. (New Hampshire Public Radio)

NATURAL GAS

• Connecticut pauses progress on a 34-mile gas pipeline project until at least next spring in order to conduct a comprehensive environmental review. (Hartford Courant)

• Environmental groups petition a federal court to let them join New York state in defending its ban on natural gas fracking against a lawsuit by landowners challenging the law. (News 10)

• A New York dairy farm is the first in the country to process its cows’ manure into renewable natural gas to power an on-site cryptomine, an approach boosters say could also help provide electricity to data centers. (Sentient)

POLITICS

• Five New York races for U.S. Congress could have a significant impact on the future of energy policy in Washington, D.C. (E&E News)

SOLAR

• Small-scale solar installations in New York have lowered midday demand on the grid over the past eight years. (news release)

• The Connecticut Siting Council issues a draft endorsement of a 19-acre, 4 MW solar farm, despite neighbors’ concerns about its proximity to an elementary school. (Hartford Business Journal)

STORAGE

• As Massachusetts’ Energy Facilities Siting Board prepares to make a final decision on a proposed 125-MW battery storage facility in the town of Tewksbury, residents of the town make a last-ditch effort to defeat the plan. (Boston Herald)

TRANSMISSION

• A newly completed 100-mile transmission project will help deliver renewable energy from upstate New York to the rest of the state, saving consumers an estimated $438 million annually. (RTO Insider)

NEW FROM CANARY

• A year after US Steel was sold, communities push for clean investment — Maria Gallucci

• California’s choice: Cleaner air for schools or money for utilities — Jeff St. John

• These states are the best for EV buyers and drivers — Kathryn Krawczyk