Massachusetts heat pump owners save $37 million

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ELECTRIFICATION

• New discounted electric rates for households with heat pumps saved some Massachusetts residents more than $37 million on their electric bills this winter. (Canary Media)

• Connecticut lawmakers advance a bill that delays the state’s plan to electrify its school and transit bus fleets and eases a ban on buying diesel-powered vehicles. (Hartford Business Journal)

WIND

• The Trump administration pays TotalEnergies nearly $1 billion to abandon its offshore wind leases, even as Democratic Congress members launch an investigation into the deal. (E&E News, Associated Press)

• Maine utility regulators reopen bidding for the development of onshore wind projects in the far northern part of the state, saying the move will allow them to choose between even more qualified proposals. (Bangor Daily News)

EFFICIENCY

• Massachusetts ratepayer-funded energy efficiency program has dramatically expanded its offerings and its budget since its founding, raising questions about whether it helps or hurts consumers. (Boston Globe)

EMISSIONS

• Maine’s largest oil-burning power plant is close to securing an exemption from air pollution regulations, sparking debate about whether the rarely used facility is necessary for ensuring a reliable electricity supply. (Portland Press Herald)

• A federal judge rules that New Hampshire can end its vehicle emissions inspections program. (E&E News)

GRID

• More than 800 projects totaling 220 GW of generation enter PJM Interconnection’s reopened interconnection queue, with nearly half of that capacity coming from gas. (Utility Dive)

• Federal regulators agree to extend a price cap for PJM’s reliability auction in an attempt to avoid the skyrocketing prices seen in previous auctions. (E&E News)

BATTERIES

• A large swath of untapped lithium deposits along the East Coast could provide the U.S. with enough of the crucial battery metal for hundreds of years, a new federal report finds. (E&E News)

TRANSMISSION

• New England transmission owners ask FERC to increase their return on equity to 11.39%, just weeks after regulators ruled the companies had been overcharging for more than a decade and ordered them to return $1.5 billion to customers. (RTO Insider)

DATA CENTERS

• The Maine state legislature fails to override Gov. Janet Mills’ (D) veto of a bill that would have imposed a statewide moratorium on data center development. (Maine Morning Star)

NEW FROM CANARY

• Used EVs are on the upswing in America — Dan McCarthy

• US Steel to build $2B lower-carbon iron plant in Arkansas — Maria Gallucci

• New winter rates saved at least $37M for Massachusetts heat-pump owners — Sarah Shemkus

• Two California bills would push utilities to get more out of their grids — Jeff St. John

• America’s big new aluminum smelter is still waiting on a power deal — Maria Gallucci