States seek court order to restart Revolution 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.

WIND

• Connecticut and Rhode Island’s Democratic attorneys general seek a court order to allow Revolution Wind construction to restart immediately. (CT Mirror)

• A small, Rhode Island anti-wind group is gaining influence as the Trump administration escalates its fight against offshore wind. (E&E News)

• Seven turbines that were part of New York’s first onshore wind farm are demolished after 20 years of operation. (CNYCentral)

FOSSIL FUELS

• A fracking mishap is responsible for widespread water contamination in two Pennsylvania towns where more than half of water samples contained oil and gas brine and two contained ​“explosive” levels of methane, according to a new study. (Public Source)

• New York utility regulators vote to approve a long-term gas plan that includes a controversial pipeline, but the final decision rests with the state Department of Environmental Conservation. (CBS6 Albany)

• Opponents including actor Mark Ruffalo rallied against the plan ahead of the Thursday vote, saying it would lock in the use of harmful fossil fuels and increase costs for customers. (WETM)

FEDERAL FUNDING

• A new map released by the Natural Resources Defense Council lays out billions in canceled or frozen federal environmental funds in the Northeast and the rest of the country. (news release)

EFFICIENCY

• Philadelphia launches a pilot program offering light-colored ​“cool roofs” to 150 homes in one neighborhood in an attempt to moderate indoor temperatures in the summer, lower energy bills associated with running air conditioning, and reduce the ambient temperature in the community as a whole. (WHYY)

• Citing the need to get more housing built, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott signs an executive order reinstating 2020 building codes, a move that relaxes energy efficiency standards, lowers insulation requirements, and removes EV charging mandates. (E&E News)

CONSUMER PROTECTION

• Massachusetts utility regulators move to strip a competitive electric supplier of its license to do business in the state and fine it $5 million, saying the company had displayed ​“egregious” and ​“deceptive” misconduct. (WWLP)

STORAGE

• The growth of intermittent renewable energy generation in New England has some developers reconsidering one of the oldest forms of energy storage: pumped hydro. (RTO Insider)

CLIMATE

• Ithaca, New York, releases a new climate plan expanding its goals to include more adaptation and resilience efforts, and taking a holistic approach that includes affordable housing, bus transit, and a ban on asking job applicants about criminal convictions. (Ithaca Voice)

TRANSMISSION

• In Maryland, 61 residents and businesses appeal a court ruling that grants a power line developer access to their properties to survey the land for a deeply unpopular planned transmission line. (Baltimore Sun)