Trump tries paying developers to give up on wind

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.

OFFSHORE WIND

• The Trump administration proposes a settlement that would pay an offshore wind developer nearly $1 billion to give up its leases off New York and North Carolina, and instead invest in natural gas infrastructure in Texas. (New York Times)

POWER PLANTS

• Portland, Maine, residents object to a plan to build a 10-MW, gas-fired power plant on the city waterfront. (Maine Public)

• The owner of two of New York’s dirtiest power plants wants to repower the facilities with gas turbines the company says will reduce emissions and improve reliability. (E&E News)

• New Hampshire state lawmakers advance a bill that would allow utilities to own natural gas and nuclear power plants, and repeal some emissions and efficiency regulations for those facilities. (New Hampshire Bulletin)

LITIGATION

• Attorneys general from New York and 19 other states argue that a Trump administration proposal to require 100% American-made components in EV chargers receiving federal funds would essentially render the $5 billion program unworkable. (Reuters)

• Recycling and construction companies pursue legal challenges to a New Jersey environmental justice law that requires regulators to deny permits for power plants and other projects that would add pollution to already overburdened communities. (Inside Climate News)

• New York files a lawsuit against a company that allegedly used false promises to lure homeowners into buying solar systems they couldn’t afford. (E&E News)
  

CLEAN ENERGY

• Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey directs the state to increase its energy supply by 10 GW by 2035, with specific targets for solar, demand reduction, and storage. (Utility Dive)

NUCLEAR

• The chair of New York’s Senate energy committee, a Democrat, is set to propose a two-year moratorium on nuclear development in the state, even as Gov. Kathy Hochul makes a major push for new nuclear power plants. (E&E News)

AFFORDABILITY

• The Maryland state House passes, with bipartisan support, a bill that aims to save consumers an average of $150 on their utility costs by lowering the surcharge that funds the state energy efficiency program, as well as rein in utilities’ rate hike requests. (Maryland Matters)

EFFICIENCY

• New York’s energy efficiency incentive program expands income eligibility to allow more people to receive financial assistance to improve their homes’ energy performance. (City Limits)

• Rhode Island state legislators consider a pair of bills that would require large building owners to calculate and eventually reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. (ecoRI)

DATA CENTERS

• A moratorium on data centers in Lowell, Massachusetts — already home to one of the state’s largest such facilities — highlights the way attitudes have evolved since Gov. Healey first announced policies to attract these developments in 2024. (CommonWealth Beacon)

• Pennsylvania state lawmakers look at using advanced transmission technologies and virtual power plants to meet the increased power demand expected from coming data centers. (Pennsylvania Capital-Star)