Trump blocks construction of nearly-complete offshore wind farm

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

• The Trump administration orders Danish wind developer Ørsted to halt construction on the nearly complete Revolution Wind offshore project to ​“address concerns related to … national security interests” — marking the second time this year the White House has ordered a work stoppage on an offshore wind project. (Canary Media)

• Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont and Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee condemn the federal government’s decision to stop construction of Revolution Wind, saying the pause ​“undermines” efforts to boost energy, lower power bills, and strengthen grid reliability. (Providence Journal)

FOSSIL FUELS

• Shell wants to sell an ethane cracker plant in Pennsylvania, which is the only plant built in what was supposed to be a larger fleet of petrochemical facilities fueled by abundant Appalachian shale gas. (Inside Climate News)

• New York officials confirm a Con Edison facility leaked 2,205 gallons of cooling fluid and an unknown amount of oil into the Bronx River. (News 12)

• Maryland regulators begin a review of utilities’ gas system planning to better understand the process and to find ways to lower carbon emissions without costing ratepayers. (news release)

RENEWABLES

• New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signs bills to allow state regulators to register 3 GW of community solar capacity and to create an incentive program to add 1 GW of battery storage capacity by 2030. (New Jersey Monitor)

SOLAR

• A Republican New York state lawmaker urges Gov. Kathy Hochul to block a pair of solar projects due to concern about loss of farmland and an economic hit to the agricultural economy. (news release)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• A Massachusetts-based bike share startup partners with a clean energy center to install the state’s first solar-powered e-bike station. (Boston Business Journal)

GRID

• A new sales and use tax exemption for data centers in Massachusetts leads a company to propose a $4 billion campus in the western part of the state, as critics urge the state to strengthen environmental rules around such facilities. (WGBH)

UTILITIES

• New York regulators approve a rate hike for National Grid, although at a lower level than what the company had requested. (Spotlight News)

POLITICS

• The nonprofit Maryland League of Conservation Voters dings Gov. Wes Moore for falling short of its climate and environmental justice priorities and failing to advance long-promised reforms such as incorporating cumulative harm assessment in permitting to protect overburdened communities. (Inside Climate News)

COMMENTARY

• Battery storage systems are becoming an increasingly important part of New York’s energy infrastructure, and the state’s adoption of new fire code updates for batteries will ensure their safety, writes the former hazmat operations for the New York City Fire Department. (New York Daily News)

• The Trump administration’s hostility toward renewables and embrace of fossil fuels mean that New Hampshire ratepayers will continue to pay some of the highest energy bills in the country due to its need to import natural gas, writes a columnist. (In-Depth New Hampshire)