New York’s climate superfund law on the ropes

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.

FOSSIL FUELS

• A federal judge strikes down a New York state law that would force fossil fuel companies to pay $75 billion to pay for damages caused by climate change, saying federal law preempts the measure. (Reuters)

• New York Gov. Kathy Hochul says the state will consider appealing the ruling: ​“We’re looking at our options.” (Syracuse.com)

• Gas industry interests in New York plan to take their opposition to the state’s building electrification regulations all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. (Politico)

SOLAR

• New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D) signs a law authorizing residents to use plug-in solar panels. (Gothamist)

• Delaware launches an initiative offering residents low-interest, long-term loans for installing solar panels and replacing roofs to prepare them for the systems. (NBC Philadelphia)

OFFSHORE WIND

• California follows the lead of seven East Coast states, filing a lawsuit to challenge the Trump administration’s agreements to pay offshore wind developers to abandon their federal leases. (Canary Media)

AFFORDABILITY

• Rhode Island utilities are charging home heat pump owners more for electricity than it actually costs to serve them and should lower these customers’ rates to address the imbalance, a new report concludes. (news release)

• Maryland’s energy consumer watchdog is challenging grid operator PJM’s plan to procure more power to avoid a potential shortfall, arguing that the planned auction could cost residents some $562 million over 15 years. (Inside Climate News)

STORAGE

• New Jersey utility PSE&G rolls out a new program that will help customers finance the purchase of home battery systems, though analysts anticipate third-party ownership will end up dominating the home battery space. (Latitude Media)

DATA CENTERS

• The owners of a closed coal power plant in New Hampshire explore the possibility of locating a data center on the site. (Concord Monitor)

TRANSMISSION

• New England transmission owners defend the calculations they used to request an increase in their base return rate as state agencies, municipal utilities, and consumer and climate advocates push for a lower rate. (RTO Insider)

NEW FROM CANARY

• Wind energy benefits North Dakota. So why has the state soured on it? — Daniel Cusick

• Meet the super PAC working to crush clean energy’s political foes — Julian Spector

• California declines to fund its biggest virtual power plant — Jeff St. John

• Meet the PAC working to crush clean energy’s political foes — Julian Spector

• Can the Obama Presidential Center help Chicago embrace community solar? — Kari Lydersen