Solar-saturated town sues Connecticut

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SOLAR

• A Connecticut town that claims 8% of its land is occupied by solar installations is suing to overturn state approval for a proposed 150-acre expansion of an existing solar field. (Hartford Courant)

• Delaware is advancing four new community solar projects with a total capacity of more than 16 MW as part of state efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lower electricity costs. (WBOC)

• Philadelphia scrambles to complete public sector solar installations before the expiration of federal tax credits that are integral to the projects’ finances. (Inside Climate News)

CLIMATE

• Maine starts reporting its own greenhouse gas emissions data for the first time since the Trump administration stopped publishing federal emissions inventories for use by the states. (Maine Public)

• In the face of New York’s decision to weaken its climate mandates, environmental groups are shifting their focus to getting a cap-and-trade program up and running by a 2028 deadline. (E&E News)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• Massachusetts regulators propose a rule that would require all the cars rideshare companies rent to drivers to be electric, though drivers say charging the vehicles would take too much time and cut into their earnings. (WGBH)

• Pennsylvania state lawmakers consider a bill that would allow EV makers to sell their vehicles directly to consumers rather than through a dealership; under a quirk of state law, only Tesla is currently allowed to do so. (Pennsylvania Capital-Star)

UTILITIES

• The Pennsylvania state House unanimously passes a bill that would cap utility company profits and eliminate nearly $1.7 billion in taxes that utilities now pass on to customers. (Pennsylvania Capital-Star)

STORAGE

• Lightshift Energy announces plans to build new battery projects with a total capacity of 23 MW to serve six municipal utilities in Massachusetts. (Lowell Sun)

FOSSIL FUELS

• The owner of a gas-fired power plant in New York files for bankruptcy, potentially exacerbating a projected energy shortfall in the Hudson Valley. (Times Union)

• Four Democratic Northeastern governors sign onto a letter urging Congress to reject legislation that would protect oil and gas companies from climate lawsuits. (E&E News)

• Rhode Island residents worry about the impact a proposed natural gas pipeline expansion could have on their properties and the environment. (ecoRI)

DATA CENTERS

• As data center proposals proliferate in southwestern Pennsylvania, worried residents of Allegheny County ask the county government to take steps to mitigate the effects on water quality, carbon emissions, and electricity prices. (Public Source)