Massachusetts governor has harsh words for utilities

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.

AFFORDABILITY

• Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey chastises utilities for earning high profits while consumers have a hard time paying for energy, and offers state lawmakers ideas for compromises as they try to find middle ground on the two very different energy affordability bills passed by the House and Senate. (Commonwealth Beacon)

OFFSHORE WIND

• The construction delays caused by the Trump administration’s two stop-work orders on Revolution Wind is costing Eversource some $164 million. (Boston Globe)

SOLAR

• A New York-based anti-solar influencer has attracted more than a million followers with her fiery rhetoric, but her claims are often misleading. (Heated)

• A Connecticut town challenges the state siting board’s conclusion that there is no reason to reject a proposal for a 19-acre solar array that is widely opposed by residents. (Hartford Courant)

• Debate over a Connecticut solar farm owner’s response to a fire on the site has revealed that no state agency has the specific authority to investigate and order fixes to problems at solar facilities. (PV Magazine)

DATA CENTERS

• As data centers proliferate, PJM and other grid operators are increasingly petitioning the U.S. Department of Energy for authorization to push such large energy users to rely on backup generation rather than grid power during times of high demand. (NOTUS)

MANUFACTURING

• Energy equipment manufacturing company GE Vernova announces plans to invest $166 million in expanding its operations in Pennsylvania. (PennLive)

NATURAL GAS

• Environmental advocates in Pennsylvania push state regulators to increase mandated distances between fracking infrastructure and homes, schools, and businesses. (Inside Climate News)

STORAGE

• Massachusetts issues a request for proposals seeking 1 GW of long-duration energy storage as part of its goal of securing 5 GW of storage by 2030. (Renewables Now)

NUCLEAR

• Pennsylvania state lawmakers agree to lower the fees that small nuclear reactors would be charged, as part of an effort to encourage their development in the state. (WBFF)

• A Delaware task force concludes that small modular nuclear reactors are not a viable short-term solution for expected power shortages. (Delaware Business Now)