Officials approve big battery near Boston

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.

STORAGE

• Massachusetts officials approve plans to build New England’s largest battery storage system on the former site of an oil tank farm near Boston. (WCVB)

TRANSPORTATION

• A federal judge rules that the Trump administration acted illegally when it attempted to block implementation of New York City’s congestion pricing toll. (New York Times)

• A Maryland county looks to buy 100 diesel school buses, noting its current electric buses are being sidelined by charging issues, parts shortages, and service interruptions. (Washington Post)

AFFORDABILITY

• Only 1% of New York state heat pump owners have signed up for a program that can reduce their winter electricity bills by roughly $500. (E&E News)

GEOTHERMAL

• New York City’s largest district geothermal project, serving a mixed-use development in Brooklyn, demonstrates the feasibility of using such systems even in a densely populated urban environment. (Facilities Dive)

SOLAR

• Nonprofit lender the Capital Good Fund announces plans to build and operate 70 solar projects for small businesses, nonprofits, and municipalities over the next four years. (Solar Power World)

• A mistake in a new Maine rule intended to prevent residents from overpaying for community solar could mean some customers have to forfeit their shares entirely, though state lawmakers say they are working to correct the problem. (Portland Press Herald)

CLIMATE

• Virginia state lawmakers vote for the state to rejoin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a coalition of 10 northeastern states using a cap-and-invest system to reduce emissions from power generation. (E&E News)

EFFICIENCY

• The Speaker of the Maryland state House proposes a measure requiring state energy efficiency incentives to be cost-effective, but consumer advocates worry such a rule would disrupt the entire program. (Maryland Matters)

GRID

• PJM Interconnection asks FERC to approve an expedited interconnection process for a handful of projects over 250 MW, and a price cap on the grid operator’s next two capacity auctions. (Utility Dive)

• Grid operator NYISO reports that New York exceeded its winter peak load forecast in early February. (RTO Insider)

DATA CENTERS

• In the face of increasing opposition to data centers from Pennsylvania community groups, environmental activists, and state lawmakers, both Democrats and Republicans are pushing for more industry regulation. (Inside Climate News)

TRANSMISSION

• Residents of an historic Baltimore neighborhood object to plans for an underground transmission line they say would disrupt their community during construction. (CBS Baltimore)