NY Gov. Hochul releases details of $1 billion climate plan

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.

CLIMATE

• New York Gov. Kathy Hochul shares details of her previously announced $1 billion climate and clean energy plan, including investments in thermal energy networks, electric school buses, and EV charging stations, and support for low- and middle-income households to adopt heat pumps. (News10)

• The New York Power Authority, an agency that is deeply involved in realizing the state’s clean energy goals, regularly flies its top executives on a private plane that uses some 14,000 gallons of jet fuel each year. (Democrat and Chronicle)

• New York city is on track to accomplish 90% of the initiatives in its most recent climate plan including long-term energy planning and rules for building emissions reductions. (Smart Cities Dive)

WIND

• As the offshore wind industry is plagued with uncertainty and delays, workers who had counted on the promise of good jobs wait on land, worrying about whether the work will come back. (New Bedford Light)

• A Maine town celebrates the completion of a 126-megawatt inland wind project that has been in development for nearly a decade. (WFVX)

AFFORDABILITY

• New Jersey is among the states where electricity rates have risen the most over the past year, with a 28.6% price hike as compared to the national average of 9.5%. (Inside Climate News)

POLICY

• Maine creates a cabinet-level Department of Energy Resources, expanding the authority of the former energy office in an effort to help the state move faster toward clean energy resources. (Maine Public)

NUCLEAR

• A judge rules against a New York law that blocks the company decommissioning the Indian Point nuclear plant from discharging millions of gallons of radioactive water into the Hudson River. (Reuters)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• A pilot program in Maryland pays a network of Ford Lightning truck owners to allow the power stored in their vehicle batteries to be dispatched to the grid during demand peaks. (PV Magazine)

• Four electric school buses starting serving New Jersey students, with 25 more vehicles on order. (WRAT)

SOLAR

• A Pennsylvania school district installs a 1.3-megawatt rooftop solar array expected to offset 100% of its electricity usage and save $2.5 million over 30 years. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

EFFICIENCY

• Rhode Island’s energy efficiency council votes against a utility’s proposal to cut spending on efficiency programs in the name of saving consumers money. (WPRI)

• Connecticut regulators approve a three-year energy efficiency plan that calls for $705 million in spending and projects lifetime benefits of $2.35 billion for residents. (Fox61)

NEW FROM CANARY 

• Can climate comedy still work? This offshore wind ad suggests it can. — Clare Fieseler

• Chart: Check out how fast China is shifting to renewables — Dan McCarthy

• Sweden’s Stegra to supply green steel for Microsoft’s data centers — Maria Gallucci

• Virtual power plants may soon provide more electricity to Illinois’ grid — Kari Lydersen

• North Carolina funds repairs so Helene-hit homes can get energy upgrades — Elizabeth Ouzts