Offshore wind halt unlawful, says developer

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OFFSHORE WIND

• The head of Equinor, which is behind the halted Empire Wind project, calls the Trump administration’s order to stop work on the project ​“unlawful” and says the company is ​“considering our legal options.” (Renews)

EFFICIENCY

• The utilities that administer Massachusetts’ energy efficiency program propose cutting $220 million from heat pump incentives as well as smaller cuts to a range of other offerings as they comply with regulators’ order to slash $500 million from the program’s three-year budget. (CommonWealth Beacon)

BUILDINGS

• A group of New York state lawmakers ask Gov. Kathy Hochul to use a portion of the state’s $4.2 billion environmental bond fund to perform energy upgrades at public housing developments, like replacing fossil fuel systems with heat pumps. (City Limits)

• Connecticut activists object to a plan to replace a 15-building heating and cooling network with a new hybrid heat pump and natural gas system, saying the use of fossil fuels works against the state’s own emissions reduction goals. (CT Mirror)

SOLAR

• Pittsburgh International Airport announces plans to add more than 11,000 new solar panels to its existing array, which will more than double its solar generation and strengthen its on-site microgrid. (WESA)

• In Maryland, county planning officials greenlight an 11-acre community solar agrivoltaics development despite the objections of local advocates who argued the project could destroy prime agricultural land. (Bethesda Today)

NATURAL GAS

• A pipeline set to transport natural gas from Pennsylvania into West Virginia nears completion, months after inspectors discovered a drilling fluid spill had contaminated nearby wetlands. (Morgan Messenger)

CLIMATE

• The Maryland Supreme Court will take up the question of whether lawsuits filed by the state against fossil fuel companies for climate damages can continue in state courts or whether they need to be removed to federal court. (Daily Record)

CONSUMER PROTECTION

• Maryland regulators order renewable energy supplier SmartEnergy to pay $6.5 million to 32,000 former customers following complaints that the company engaged in fraudulent practices, including signing up customers without their consent. (Baltimore Banner)

GRID

• The New England grid hits a new low for midday demand — a record that showcases the growing importance of solar power to the region’s grid. (New England Public Media)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• For the first time, Maryland deploys inspectors to ensure EV chargers are properly accounting for the electricity they are providing and to report out-of-service chargers to the equipment owners. (Maryland Matters)