Trump’s hostility costs jobs at Vineyard Wind parent company

This roundup of energy news headlines comes from our Northeast Energy News newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox each morning.

OFFSHORE WIND

One of the parent companies of Vineyard Wind, the country’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farm, eliminates 50 jobs ​“in light of recent market uncertainties,” a spokesperson says. (CAI)

AFFORDABILITY

• Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and state lawmakers call on utilities regulators to provide rate relief for customers experiencing ​“astonishing” increases in their natural gas bills; at the same time, regulators are working on ways to revise delivery rates to reduce future price volatility for consumers. (Boston.com)

• As Delaware grapples with soaring energy prices, state lawmakers consider imposing stricter regulations on for-profit utilities’ abilities to increase power rates. (Spotlight Delaware)

• A measure under consideration in Rhode Island would let low-income residents pay a set percentage of their income for their utility bills. (Providence Journal)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• New Hampshire’s slow pace in building out EV charging infrastructure could cost the state more than $1.4 billion in tourism revenue by 2031, according to a recent study. (Boston Globe)

• Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee proposes to offset expected declines in gas tax revenue by charging a $150 annual registration fee for EVs. (Providence Journal)

SOLAR

• New Jersey lawmakers consider a bill that would streamline and automate much of the approval process for residential solar developments, a move advocates say is much needed to help homeowners navigate the state’s complex permitting systems. (NJ.com)

• Maine’s new consumer advocate asks all the community solar companies in the state to ensure customers are billed accurately after uncovering at least one case of customers not receiving advertised discounts from a solar provider. (Maine Morning Star)

• Residents of a Maine city are upset that they only discovered a 10-acre solar farm is planned for their neighborhood when extensive tree removal began. (Portland Press Herald, subscription)

EFFICIENCY

Snowmaking is vital to keep New England ski resorts in business, and the process is getting more environmentally friendly as resorts increase efficiency and plan to move away from diesel fuels entirely. (Boston Globe)

BIOMASS

Activists’ successful, yearslong fight against a proposed wood-burning biomass plant in western Massachusetts offers lessons in how communities can exert local influence over energy siting decisions. (The Shoestring)