New York lawmakers push for clean energy slowdown

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CLEAN ENERGY

• Republican state lawmakers in New York push for a ten-year delay in the implementation of the state’s green energy mandates, saying the rules would drive power bills even higher. (WENY)

• New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy’s proposed budget includes nearly $600 million in spending for clean energy and decarbonization, but some advocates are concerned that the plan ​“raids” a clean energy fund to send $70 million to the state’s financially troubled transit system. (NJ.com)

• Maryland residents express high levels of support for increasing solar and wind power, as well as increasing the use of natural gas for electricity generation, according to a new poll. (Maryland Matters)

CLIMATE

• Legal challenges against state laws in New York and Vermont requiring fossil fuel companies to pay for damages caused by greenhouse gas emissions could undermine the federal ​“Superfund” law on which they are modeled, legal experts say. (Tech Brew)

HYDROGEN

• Hydrogen company Air Products cancels three projects nationwide, including plans to build a $500 million green hydrogen production facility in upstate New York, citing regulatory challenges and a slow-to-develop market. (North Country Now)

FUNDING FREEZE

• Maryland farmers are left without expected money to pay for solar installations as the federal government continues to hold up billions of dollars of promised funding. (Baltimore Banner)

STORAGE

• New York regulators approve a framework for building 1,700 MW of retail and residential energy storage, but questions remain about whether the state will reach its goal of deploying 6 GW of storage by 2030. (Utility Dive)

UTILITIES

• New Jersey utility PSE&G reports a 12-fold increase in inquiries from customers exploring large load and data center projects last year. (RTO Insider)

TRANSIT

• New York transit authorities are expected to approve the purchase of 13 electric locomotives which would be some of the first battery-powered commuter trains in operation nationwide. (Gothamist)

NUCLEAR

• Maine legislators consider a bill calling for the state to research using small modular nuclear reactors to produce carbon-free energy. (News Center Maine)

COMMENTARY

• The New England grid’s reliance on natural gas-fired power plants compromises reliability, causes high prices, and releases damaging greenhouse gases, meaning Connecticut policymakers should encourage more renewable energy generation, a climate advocate says. (Connecticut Mirror)