New energy cuts may hit hydrogen hubs

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.

FEDERAL ACTION

• The Trump administration is reportedly preparing to cut yet more federal clean energy funding, including funding for hydrogen hubs in the mid-Atlantic and Appalachian regions, though the Energy Department denies it’s made a final decision yet. (E&E News)

SOLAR

• The Rhode Island AFL-CIO spearheads a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s cancellation of the $7 billion Solar for All program, which was intended to support solar programs benefiting low-income households. (Rhode Island Current)

• Federal attacks on clean energy and changes in state policies are dimming the outlook for community solar projects nationwide, with New York and Maine among the states expected to see the steepest declines. (Canary Media)

• Pennsylvania lawmakers consider legislation that would require new warehouses to be built solar-ready and allow local governments to offer incentives for the installation of solar systems on existing facilities. (Pennsylvania Capital-Star)

• Maine regulators rule that the Passamaquoddy Tribe can go ahead with plans to install solar panels and battery storage on 200 homes, despite the local utility’s argument that the plan violates state rules. (Maine Public)

COAL

• New England’s last coal-fired power plant ceases operation three years ahead of schedule, even as the Trump administration attempts to revive the flagging coal industry. (Canary Media)

OFFSHORE WIND

• Litigation over the future of the US Wind project off Maryland will continue amid the federal government shutdown despite the Trump administration’s request to pause the proceedings, a judge rules. (E&E News)

• The developers behind SouthCoast Wind, one of the projects in Trump’s crosshairs, argue in court filings that the administration’s attempts to undercut the offshore wind industry are purely political and ​“have no genuine legal basis.” (Vineyard Gazette)

• A research project assessing how offshore wind developments affect commercial fish species stalls out after losing $3.5 million due to the Trump administration’s latest cuts to energy funding. (New Bedford Light)

GAS

• A scientific study finding evidence of methane in the drinking water of a small Pennsylvania community could help bolster the community’s legal case against the fracking company they hold responsible for the contamination. (Inside Climate News)

• A new commercial operation in New Jersey will be the first to inject renewable natural gas into the South Jersey Gas pipeline system, a move the utility says will lower emissions and create jobs. (Pipeline and Gas Journal)

INDUSTRY

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency drops plans to delay air quality monitoring around coke plants in western Pennsylvania and elsewhere in the country, following lawsuits by two environmental groups. (Inside Climate News)

TRANSMISSION

• Leaders in Ontario County, New York, worry that the region’s electric infrastructure won’t be able to keep up with expected population growth over the next several years. (Rochester First)

EFFICIENCY

• Efficiency programs in New England and New York are set to save residents tens of billions of dollars, even as states face pressure to cut spending on such efforts in the name of short-term bill savings, a new report concludes. (Utility Dive)

COMMENTARY

• Policies to promote renewable energy can rein in soaring electric bills, fight climate change, and make a statement against the Trump administration’s attempts to derail clean energy development, says a Rhode Island environmental advocate. (Boston Globe)

NEW FROM CANARY

• Solar is crushing gas power in California this year — Julian Spector

• Why did Newsom veto California’s virtual power plant bills? — Jeff St. John