Pennsylvania’s push for stricter fracking rules

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

• Advocates in Pennsylvania push for stricter regulations on fracking sites as a proliferation of AI data centers spurs greater demand for natural gas. (Inside Climate News)

• Jet fuel continues to contaminate a Maryland creek more than six months after a spill was identified upstream at Joint Base Andrews. (Inside Climate News)

DATA CENTERS

• Energy prices and grid capacity are two of the major concerns of a Maine advisory council drafting recommended guidelines for data center development in the state. (Maine Morning Star)

• The U.S. Department of Energy urges grid operator PJM to revise its plans to prevent data centers from driving up energy costs for existing customers. (Utility Dive)

AFFORDABILITY

• Maine’s soaring electricity prices have been driven by the rising cost of natural gas and the expense of repairing and upgrading grid infrastructure, according to a new analysis from the state’s utility watchdog. (Maine Public)

• Maine will release $4 million in assistance funding left over from last year to help some of the state’s most at-risk households get a jump start on this year’s heating bills. (Maine Public)

EFFICIENCY

• Massachusetts’ next three-year energy efficiency strategy is in the planning stages, but a pending state energy bill could upend the process with significant budget cuts for the programming. (CommonWealth Beacon)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• Vermont Gov. Phil Scott (R) trades the electric Ford pickup truck that was his official vehicle for a hybrid, citing the difficulty of finding charging stations on the road. (WCAX)

BUILDINGS

• A new school opens outside of Baltimore, becoming the first net-zero elementary school in Maryland. (WBAL)

STORAGE

• A 30-MW battery installment that will be one of New York City’s largest storage facilities breaks ground in Brooklyn. (Brooklyn Eagle)

CLEAN ENERGY

• US Wind pulls out of its lease at a Maryland site where it planned to produce turbines and parts for its Ocean City offshore wind project. (Maryland Matters)

• Massachusetts native and Hollywood star John Cena appears in a series of absurdist ads promoting the impact and potential of clean energy. (news release)

NEW FROM CANARY

• Constellation and Google go in on nuclear uprates to unlock clean power — Brian Martucci

• California amps up pressure on grid buildouts that take too long — Jeff St. John

• How a reluctant Iowa farming county undid a ban on battery storage — Julian Spector

• A new group to help US small towns lead the clean energy transition — Elizabeth Ouzts