Trump-inspired offshore wind delays already having ripple effects

OFFSHORE WIND: An offshore wind company’s decision to put a planned wind farm on hold during the second Trump presidency is having ripple effects, endangering the development of a renewable energy hub in New York City. (Heatmap)

ALSO

• A planned wind farm receives key approvals from Delaware’s natural resources department, including authorization to run transmission lines underwater and beneath beaches to connect to a substation on land. (Delaware Business Times)
• A U.S. circuit court has dismissed a claim by a fishermen’s organization and a seafood dealer that the federal government mishandled the approval process for the Vineyard Wind project under construction off Massachusetts. (Vineyard Gazette)

CLIMATE TECH:

• Boosted by a recently signed economic development bill, Massachusetts intends to invest $1 billion over the next 10 years in efforts to build up the state’s climate tech sector. (Boston Globe)
• A climate tech incubator in New Haven, Connecticut, receives a $1 million federal grant it plans to use for renewable energy and artificial intelligence. (Fox 61)

EMISSIONS: Rhode Island state officials remain optimistic about the state’s progress toward its goal of reaching net-zero by 2050 as a new report finds carbon dioxide emissions edged down 2.2% in 2022. (Rhode Island Current)

SOLAR: A Brooklyn community solar project set to begin construction in 2025 will provide lower-cost power to low-income residents and direct revenue into a community wealth fund. (Brooklyn Daily Eagle)

TRANSMISSION: Federal regulators reject proposals that would have given more control over transmission planning in PJM territory to the transmission owners rather than the grid operator. (Utility Dive)

TRANSIT: Environmental advocates and transit experts urge New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to use as much as $15 billion in federal highway funds to bolster public transit, following a similar move in Pennsylvania last month. (New York Focus)

AFFORDABILITY: Some 20,000 electricity consumers in Maine await refund checks from a competitive electric supplier following a settlement finding the company unlawfully overcharged customers by millions. (Maine Morning Star)

OIL: A leaking underground tank spills an estimated 100 gallons of heating oil into a Massachusetts river, sending dozens of ducks and geese to a wildlife hospital for cleaning and treatment. (Boston.com)

COMMENTARY: The body that manages the University of Massachusetts’ $1.3 billion endowment needs to be more transparent about its continued dealings with ​“dirty” investment funds, banks, and insurers, say two faculty members. (Massachusetts Daily Collegian)