States sue to restore federal EV charger funds

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont join a national coalition suing the Trump administration for blocking billions of dollars designated for building EV charging stations. (New York Times)

OFFSHORE WIND

• Seafloor monitoring at the South Fork Wind project off Rhode Island, which was built between 2022 and 2024, shows no negative impact to the biological communities around the development and the presence of a wide range of ​“ecologically important” species. (report)

• Danish energy company Orsted is moving forward with work on wind farms already under construction off New York and Rhode Island, despite the threats coming from the Trump administration. (E&E News)

• Supporters of a planned offshore wind terminal in Salem, Massachusetts, plan to continue work to ​“advance that vision” despite the uncertainty stemming from federal action. (Patch)

DATA CENTERS

• The site of a former coal plant outside Pittsburgh is set to become home to a data center, the latest of several such facilities announced in western Pennsylvania. (TribLive)

GRID

• Adoption of electric vehicles and electric heating systems will drive an 11% increase in annual electricity consumption in New England over the next 10 years, after two decades of trending downward, according to a forecast from regional grid operator ISO New England. (Utility Dive)

NUCLEAR

• New Jersey utilities regulators issue a request for information to explore whether nuclear power could be part of the 10 GW of clean energy capacity the state will need to have by 2035 to accommodate growing demand. (Utility Dive)

SOLAR

• Baltimore County officials pass new regulations on setbacks and landscaping for smaller solar developments, following passage of a state law that limits what counties can do to regulate and restrict larger solar projects. (Fox Baltimore)

• Commercial Solar Panel Recycling opens a first-of-its-kind recycling facility in New Jersey. (PV Magazine)

AFFORDABILITY

• Republican state lawmakers in Connecticut hold town hall meetings to rally support for their goal of eliminating the public benefits charge — a portion of each electric bill that helps support solar power, energy efficiency, and low-income discounts. (Monroe Sun)

CLIMATE

• Massachusetts recognizes the first 19 cities and towns to earn its Climate Leader designation, which makes them eligible for grants of up to $1.15 million for projects that reduce emissions in their communities. (news release)

NEW FROM CANARY

• California lawmakers consider a bill that would undo net-metering contracts for nearly 2 million homes that have installed rooftop solar, but would hardly reduce high electricity costs the proposal is meant to address, Jeff. St John reports.

• Federal funding cuts worry electric cooperatives who are relying on them to build renewable generation and make needed grid updates, Keaton Peters reports for High Country News.