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Massachusetts to scrutinize power prices

By Sarah Shemkus

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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 calls on regulators to scrutinize proposed utility rate increases and to conduct a comprehensive review of gas and electricity charges to find ways to cut costs. (NBC 10 Boston)

  • Soaring energy prices have become the centerpiece of the New Jersey gubernatorial race, with Democrat Mikie Sherrill promising to freeze rates and build more clean energy and Republican Jack Ciattarelli opposing more renewables. (New York Times)

GRID

  • New York City could start experiencing significant power shortages as soon as next summer due to rising demand, aging transmission, and retiring power plants, according to a new report from grid operator NYISO. (Gothamist)

ELECTRIFICATION

  • Public housing authorities in three Massachusetts cities are piloting window heat pumps to replace buildings’ older, less-efficient heating and cooling systems. (Canary Media)

  • Low-income Maryland residents could see up to $540 million in annual benefits if the state dedicates funding to support the legally mandated replacement of aging heating equipment with zero-emissions systems, according to a new report. (news release)

  • A New York county launches six fully electric buses, the first in its public transit fleet. (WIVT)

LITIGATION

  • A trio of court cases weighing Vermont’s authority to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for the damages of climate change is being watched by advocates, lawmakers, and businesses around the country. (Boston Globe)

FOSSIL FUELS

  • Coal miners rally to demand the Trump administration implement rules intended to protect them from black lung disease — ​“the worst kind of death.” (E&E News)

  • As New Jersey regulators consider whether to issue permits for a natural gas pipeline that would run through the state, environmental groups say their voices are not being heard. (Inside Climate News)

  • A judge halts work on a power plant that would be the fourth natural gas-burning plant in one lower-income neighborhood in Newark, New Jersey, pending resolution of an ongoing lawsuit challenging the project. (NJ.com)

  • Environmental advocates sue an interstate commission in an attempt to stop an expansion project at a liquefied natural gas dock in New Jersey. (E&E News)

NUCLEAR

  • New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declares her intention to appeal a court ruling that would allow a decommissioned nuclear plant to discharge radioactive wastewater into the Hudson River. (News10)

BUILDINGS

  • About 94% of New York City properties are cooperating with a municipal law meant to limit emissions from large buildings. (E&E News)

STORAGE

  • A Massachusetts company launches a line of sodium-ion batteries it says will be cheaper than the more common lithium-ion technology. (Heatmap)

  • The PJM grid region needs 16 gigawatts of energy storage by 2032 to ensure sufficient resources on the system, according to a new analysis. (Utility Dive)

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