Offshore wind project launches without fanfare

This roundup of energy news headlines comes from our Northeast Energy News newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox each morning.

OFFSHORE WIND

• Construction quietly gets underway on the Empire Wind farm off New York, despite widespread conservative opposition and President Trump’s claims he will bring an end to all new offshore wind activity. (Canary Media)

• Maine lawmakers reject a bill that would’ve prevented the development of an offshore wind port on a state-owned island. (Portland Press Herald)

FEDERAL ACTION

• New York and Vermont, which have passed laws aiming to make fossil fuel companies pay for climate damages, are among the targets of Trump’s newly announced effort to stop enforcement of state climate laws he deems unconstitutional or unenforceable. (E&E News)

SOLAR

• Farmers throughout the Northeast are puzzled and troubled by demands that they remove references to diversity, equity, inclusion, and any ​“far-left climate features” from their applications for federal assistance in order to receive already-promised funds for solar projects. (Boston Globe)

• A newly passed Maryland bill that changes how local governments can regulate solar projects causes a town to delay a vote on a proposed rule that would effectively kill a controversial solar farm proposal. (WYPR)

NATURAL GAS

• Pennsylvania regulators consider a petition by environmental groups to increase setbacks for natural gas wells from 500 feet to 2,500 feet, a restriction industry representatives say would disrupt 99% of current and planned drilling operations. (Pittsburgh Business Times)

• A 2023 factory explosion that killed seven people in Pennsylvania was caused by a natural gas leak from a neglected, out-of-use fitting, a federal investigation concludes. (Morning Call)

POLITICS

• New York lawmakers consider a bill that could allow the state to claw back money invested in a Tesla facility that produces solar panels and auto parts if an audit looking for ​“waste, fraud, and abuse” discovers the company hasn’t honored its promises to the state. (Syracuse.com)

NUCLEAR

• The Maine House votes down a Republican-sponsored bill that would overturn a requirement that new nuclear development be subject to a public referendum, but the bill still moves to the Senate for consideration. (Maine Public)

STORAGE

• Grid operators PJM, NYISO, and MISO should change the way storage projects are integrated into their market designs to allow these developments to better boost reliability and mitigate high prices, according to a new report. (Utility Dive)

NEW FROM CANARY MEDIA

• Clean energy won’t be stopped, Eric Wesoff argues. Times are fraught, but the energy transition story continues — and it’s never been more important to tell it.