Two dozen states sue EPA over climate decision

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FEDERAL ACTION

• A coalition of 24 states — including most of those in the Northeast — sues the Trump administration, claiming it acted illegally by rescinding a scientific finding that formed the legal basis for the EPA to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. (New York Times)

• New York Republicans slam the Trump administration’s plan to pay wind developers $1 billion to give up their leases: ​“A colossal waste of taxpayer money.” (E&E News)

AFFORDABILITY

• New York Gov. Kathy Hochul says the delays she wants to impose on the state’s climate laws are meant to slow down future rate hikes, not lower current bills. (City and State)

• The sweeping energy bill under consideration in the Massachusetts state legislature includes provisions that aim to save consumers money by allowing municipalities to ban competitive electric suppliers. (CommonWealth Beacon)

DATA CENTERS

• Data center developers have proposed six different facilities in a single small Pennsylvania town conveniently located near a major powerline, sparking an uproar among residents who worry about pollution, noise, and disturbance to their quiet community. (Grist)

• A Pennsylvania electric utility agrees to create a new rate class for data centers and to protect consumers from stranded costs should a developer fail to complete a planned facility. (WHYY)

NATURAL GAS

• New York Gov. Kathy Hochul says she rejected President Donald Trump’s efforts to get her to support fracking in the state. (E&E News)

• Pennsylvania regulators impose $2.6 million in penalties on a utility for violations of state and federal safety rules leading up to a 2023 chocolate factory explosion that killed seven people. (WGAL)

WORKFORCE

• The growth in Maine’s clean energy workforce from 2020 to 2024 outpaced national growth and was the strongest in New England. (news release)

TRANSPORTATION

• Maine transportation officials abandon plans to replace an island ferry with an electric vessel, instead proposing to buy a hybrid boat that will use just 20% less diesel than the current ferry. (Bangor Daily News)

SOLAR

• Residents of a Massachusetts town will vote on whether to authorize $6.2 million of new solar projects on five municipal buildings. (Winchester News)

COMMENTARY

• Eversource should look to batteries, efficient heat pumps, and demand response technology rather than an expensive new substation as a solution to the growing power needs of a Boston neighborhood, community activists say. (Dorchester Reporter)n

NEW FROM CANARY

• Next-gen nuclear has a chicken-and-egg problem — Alexander C. Kaufman

• Where in the world is clean energy technology made? — Dan McCarthy

• Balcony solar bill gains momentum in Illinois — Kari Lydersen

• Duke Energy agrees to explore a cleaner way to power data centers — Elizabeth Ouzts