Supreme Court allows climate lawsuits to proceed

CLIMATE: The U.S. Supreme Court declines to block a state lawsuit arguing that fossil fuel companies knowingly lied about their climate impact, a decision that has implications for similar legal actions in dozens of cities and states including Connecticut, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. (E&E News)

ALSO: Maryland launches a federally funded, $147 million project to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the Port of Baltimore by deploying zero-emission cargo-handling equipment and new heavy-duty trucks. (Baltimore Sun, subscription)

OFFSHORE WIND:

• A Maryland county government is revealed to be behind an anti-wind website that appeared last month shortly before a Delaware county held a key vote rejecting an offshore wind substation. (Spotlight Delaware)
• New Jersey homeowners and businesses challenge federal approvals of an offshore wind project, arguing the development would harm tourism and marine life and claiming regulators failed to properly apply the law to the case. (Bloomberg Law, subscription)

SOLAR: Maine’s ratepayer advocate notes that Connecticut residents are ​“getting a much better deal” from utility-scale arrays in his state than locals pay for smaller-scale projects, but an expert says he is ​“comparing apples and oranges.” (Bangor Daily News)

TRANSPORTATION:

• New York City’s congestion pricing plan is likely to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in downtown Manhattan, though the South Bronx could see increased traffic and pollution. (Grist)
• Environmental and transit advocates in New York back legislation that aims to reduce vehicle miles driven 20% by 2050. (City & State New York)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Rural Berkshire County, Massachusetts does not have enough electric vehicle charging stations to accommodate growing demand among residents, experts and EV drivers say. (Berkshire Eagle)

FOSSIL FUELS: An energy company agrees to plug 2,600 dormant oil and gas wells in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, though critics wonder if it is financially stable enough to follow through. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

RENEWABLES: Concord, New Hampshire reduces the percentage of renewable energy in its community choice power mix to lower costs and remain competitive with falling utility supply prices. (Concord Monitor)

POLITICS: Offshore wind and the administration of energy policy are likely to be big issues in New Hampshire as a new governor and more solidly Republican legislature begin work this month. (New Hampshire Bulletin)

GRID: Renewable energy companies, power plant owners, and ratepayer advocates are among the stakeholders asking federal regulators not to approve proposed changes to grid operator PJM’s capacity market auctions. (Utility Dive)

COMMENTARY:

• As a city with global influence, New York City should lead the way in the fight against climate change and refuse to give up on achieving forward movement during the Trump administration, a climate activist says. (City Limits)
• More robust citizen participation is needed on a panel advising the decommissioning process as a closed nuclear power plant in Vermont is dismantled, a climate activist says. (VT Digger)