The ​“job-killing” budget bill hits the renewable industry

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FEDERAL ACTION

• The new federal budget law could be the ​“biggest job-killing bill in American history,” says a Massachusetts labor leader, as a new report forecasts the loss of some 6,100 solar industry jobs in the state; one company has already laid off about 20% of its workforce. (Boston Globe)

• Maryland environmental officials dispute claims by the EPA that there are errors in the permit it issued for the US Wind project and say they will not reissue the permit as requested. (Maryland Matters)

• Farmers and small businesses in New Hampshire are left hanging as the U.S. Department of Agriculture cancels two application windows for a program funding solar panels, energy efficiency measures, and other energy projects in rural areas. (NHPR)

• The looming loss of tax credits and the Trump administration’s ongoing animus toward renewable energy leave the future of several Pennsylvania projects in doubt, including an EV pilot, the electrification of garbage trucks, and solar developments. (Morning Call)

DATA CENTERS

• Following the announcement of $90 billion in private investment in data centers and energy projects in Pennsylvania, questions remain about whether the funding is really there to support all the planned projects. (TribLive)

• A proposed $10 billion Delaware data center would consume nearly twice as much energy as all the homes in the state combined. (Spotlight Delaware)

SOLAR

• A Pittsburgh park that was a dumping ground for steel manufacturing waste is being cleaned up in preparation to host a 15-acre, 3-MW solar array. (WESA)

GEOTHERMAL

• A sprawling energy bill proposed by Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey includes provisions that would allow universities and other large institutions to work with utilities to develop geothermal networks to serve their campuses. (Tufts Now)

ELECTRIFICATION

• A $25 million Rhode Island heat pump incentive program wraps up its first round, serving more than 4,000 residents and businesses, and gears up for the second round. (ecoRI)

EFFICIENCY

• A New York state program hailed for its success in lowering low- and moderate-income households’ utility bills by paying for energy efficiency upgrades could see its budget slashed by roughly two-thirds in 2027. (New York Focus)

• A pilot program in New Haven, Connecticut uses $900,000 in state funding to outfit 30 homes with energy efficiency measures. (Connecticut Public)

FOSSIL FUELS

• The company behind a pipeline that leaked an unknown quantity of jet fuel in Pennsylvania will have to install additional monitoring wells, conduct tests for toxic vapor in area homes, and complete a report determining the full extent of the contamination. (ABC6)

EMISSIONS

• Vermont’s greenhouse gas emissions fell slightly from 2021 to 2022, as the heating fuel and transportation sectors declined. (Bennington Banner)

NEW FROM CANARY 

• Small modular reactors are gaining steam globally. Will any get built? — Maria Gallucci

• Rooftop solar braces for fallout from Trump’s megabill — Jeff St. John

• Will the AI boom be powered by big, slow energy projects? — Julian Spector and Dan McCarthy