New York solar not actually destroying prime farmland

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.

SOLAR

• New York state responds to federal concerns about the amount of agricultural land being used for solar installations, noting that solar occupies just 6,000 acres of the state’s 4.6 million acres of prime farmland. (Spectrum News)

• Solar farm owners in Maine manage vegetation growth by hiring local farmers who bring in sheep to graze under and around the panels. (WMTW)

UTILITIES

• Maryland regulators are weighing how much profit to allow utility Pepco in its latest rate case, a decision that could provide precedent for other states considering similar questions. (Utility Dive)

• Maine regulators change their schedule for choosing energy suppliers for the state’s utilities, adding a second annual procurement in an attempt to secure lower prices for residents. (Maine Public)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• Massachusetts launches a pilot program offering low-cost hourly rentals of solar-powered electric vehicles for lower-income residents of four communities. (Canary Media)

• New York City’s transit authority will buy 85 fewer electric buses than previously planned while the manufacturer works on resolving a host of mechanical and technological problems with the city’s existing vehicles. (Streetsblog)

DATA CENTERS

• PJM Interconnection plans to create a registry of data centers and other large power users, which the operator would target for curtailment during grid emergencies. (E&E News)

• A data center bill passed by New York state lawmakers would require the facilities to procure an increasing portion of their power from renewable sources and create community benefits programs. (Utility Dive)

• A data center industry group launches ad campaigns in Pennsylvania and other states saying the facilities are ​“unlocking a smarter power grid” and committed to ​“paying their costs.” (Oregon Capital Chronicle)

GEOTHERMAL

• A plan to install geothermal networks in several Maryland housing complexes has been delayed by regulators’ concerns that the program would pass ​“exorbitant” costs onto all customers. (Maryland Matters)

STORAGE

• Vermont utility Green Mountain Power saved customers an estimated $6 million during the recent heat wave by deploying its network of more than 10,000 residential batteries during times of high demand. (Electrek)

• New York expands groundwater testing to monitor contamination in the vicinity of a battery storage facility that caught fire three years ago. (ABC 7)

TRANSMISSION

• In a first-of-its-kind bidding process, ISO New England selects a $2.2 billion proposal by Avangrid and Eversource as its preferred solution for building transmission infrastructure to strengthen connections between Maine and the rest of New England. (RTO Insider)