Maryland’s mixed bag of climate laws

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POLITICS

• Climate advocates celebrate Maryland’s newly passed energy bills for their steps to curb gas infrastructure investments and boost community solar and batteries, but are wary of one measure that will expedite new gas and nuclear power plants. (Canary Media)

• Vermont advocates say they’re carrying on with emissions-fighting efforts despite President Trump’s executive order targeting the state’s climate policies. (NBC5)

• Maryland advocates are relieved after state legislators only made small revisions to the state’s Building Energy Performance Standards instead of totally trimming the program back. (Maryland Matters)

WIND

• New London, Connecticut, is among the New England cities that have seen an economic boom amid the area’s offshore wind buildout, but its mayor fears that won’t last under President Trump’s attacks. (NPR)

• Graduate students from MIT Renewable Energy Facility Siting Clinic are seeking opinions from Barnstable, Massachusetts, residents about offshore wind to formulate better planning processes. (Capecod.com)

TRANSPORTATION

• The U.S. Transportation Department contradicts a report saying it will let New York City’s congestion pricing plan remain in place until October, calling it ​“a complete lie.” (Heatmap)

EMISSIONS

• Burlington, Vermont’s greenhouse gas emissions decreased 19% from 2018 to 2024, the city and the Burlington Electric Department say as they announce new electrification initiatives. (Burlington Free Press)

• Researchers find Maryland households who utilized energy efficiency programs saw 18-32% smaller increases in their winter electricity bills than non-participants. (ICF)

UTILITIES

• The Maine Public Utilities Commission launches a formal investigation into Versant Power after an independent audit uncovered questions about its management. (Mainebiz)

• Connecticut House lawmakers vote to advance two utility regulator nominees for reappointment, despite concerns that the public utilities commission hasn’t done enough to lower power bills. (CT Mirror)

• Maine legislators hear a bill that would limit the state’s net energy billing program to generation resources of 20 KW or less. (WABI)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• The NJ Transit Board approves the purchase of 20 electric buses as it looks to replace much of its fleet. (New Jersey Herald)

DATA CENTERS

• Nautilus Data Technologies cancels a $300 million data center project planned for the former Great Northern Paper Co. mill in Millinocket, Maine, after it failed to find an AI customer because it couldn’t secure needed power. (Bangor Daily News)

WORKFORCE

• New York City sees a dip in availability of green jobs after years of steady growth. (City Limits)

SOLAR

• A Reading, Pennsylvania, church shows off its rooftop solar array and prepares to install a battery storage system and replace its gas furnaces with electric heat pumps. (WFMZ)

COMMENTARY

• U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, puts the blame on the Trump administration’s back-and-forth trade policies for skyrocketing energy bills in the state. (CommonWealth Beacon)