RFK Jr. sets his sights on offshore wind

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.

OFFSHORE WIND

• U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. orders the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to investigate alleged harms caused to fishing businesses by offshore wind farms. (Reuters)

• The monthlong pause in construction on the Revolution Wind project due to the Trump administration’s attempts to stop the development has left dozens of union painters without work or paychecks. (Rhode Island Current)

FOSSIL FUELS

• Oil and gas companies are lobbying Congress for protection from liability in the face of climate accountability lawsuits from states like Massachusetts and climate superfund laws in places like New York and Vermont. (Inside Climate News)

CLIMATE

• New York Gov. Kathy Hochul says she will appeal a judge’s ruling that the state must issue new regulations to comply with a 2019 climate law. (News10)

RENEWABLES

• Maine and Connecticut plan to collaborate on a solar and wind procurement with the goal of getting more resources online before the expiration of federal clean energy tax credits. (Canary Media)

• A Maryland state law overriding counties’ authority to limit solar projects has developers flocking to build on farmland in largely rural Carroll County. (Baltimore Sun)

• A Pennsylvania state lawmaker introduces a bipartisan bill that would smooth the way for residents to buy and install plug-in solar panels. (MyChesCo)

• A grant from pop star Billie Eilish’s foundation allows a Philadelphia youth organization to install a solar array that will meet all its energy needs. (news release)

• Maryland announces a $17 million grant program to support community solar projects benefiting low-income residents. (CBS Baltimore)

STORAGE

• Developer Hecate Energy gives up on plans to build a $300 million, eight-acre battery storage facility on Staten Island. (SILive.com)

UTILITIES

• Rhode Island Energy natural gas customers will get an average of $189 back on their bills next year after the utility overestimated its expenses for the previous year. (Rhode Island Current)

• Rhode Island Energy has also proposed $155 million in bill credits to ease the high cost on gas and electricity, though the state’s attorney general says the utility is shortchanging customers and should be offering more. (Rhode Island Current)

• Connecticut regulators approve a rate hike for electric utility United Illuminating that is expected to increase the average residential energy bill by $10 a month. (CT Mirror)

BUILDINGS

• New Jersey launches a program providing grants up to $12.5 million to projects retrofitting commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings with solar, energy storage, efficiency, and other clean energy or electrification components. (news release)

NUCLEAR

• A Delaware task force considers whether building small modular nuclear reactors would be a safe and cost-effective way to meet the state’s growing energy needs. (WHYY)

NEW FROM CANARY

• Despite Trump troubles, Hyundai charges ahead with green-steel project — Alexander C. Kaufman

• China moves to supercharge green hydrogen as US pulls back — Alexander C. Kaufman

• Critics decry company created to rush power to Indiana data centers — Kari Lydersen

• Eavor is about to bring its first-of-a-kind geothermal project online — Maria Gallucci