Unanswered questions about Trump’s $17-billion gas plant

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.

NATURAL GAS

• The Trump administration announces plans to build a $17-billion natural gas power plant in Pennsylvania, but neither the White House nor the expected developer have yet shared details about the intended location or when construction will begin. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

AFFORDABILITY

• New York Gov. Kathy Hochul unveils her plans to save consumers money by pushing back deadlines for emissions reductions regulations by seven years, a move advocates call ​“an attempt to evade accountability.” (New York Focus)

• Massachusetts state legislators claim the energy affordability bill passed by the House last month will save consumers $9 billion over 10 years, but critics say volatile oil prices and energy efficiency cuts could diminish the savings. (Boston Globe)

POLITICS

• Maine Sen. Susan Collins has long been considered a more centrist Republican, but has done little to criticize the Trump administration’s assaults on clean energy and climate policy, a ​“deafening silence” that advocates say could make it more difficult for her to get reelected this year. (Inside Climate News)

EFFICIENCY

• Energy efficiency contractors in Maryland worry about the fallout of a bill that would roll back funding for the state’s efficiency incentive program. (Maryland Matters)

OFFSHORE WIND

• A judge rules against Rhode Island preservation groups that argued the federal government failed to protect ​“iconic” ocean views when it allowed the South Fork Wind development to go forward. (E&E News)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• Vermont lawmakers advance a proposal to charge EV drivers a mileage-based fee to make up for the gas taxes they are no longer paying. (VTDigger)

DATA CENTERS

• New Jersey residents worried about energy prices, air pollution, and water quality rally in opposition to a proposed data center that plans to generate 85% of its own power with onsite natural gas. (WHYY)

TRANSMISSION

• Federal regulators order a reduction on the return on equity New England transmission line owners can collect, retroactive to 2014, and requires them to return, with interest, excess funds collected. (RTO Insider)

• NextEra Energy and Exelon Corp. plan to build a 220-mile transmission ​“superhighway” from West Virginia into western Pennsylvania to accommodate anticipated data center demand. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

SOLAR

• Maryland lawmakers move bills that aim to encourage solar development by removing the state’s net metering cap and modernizing the process of connecting large-scale projects to the grid. (Spotlight Delaware)

• Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey signs an executive order establishing a 15-month time limit for final permitting decisions on large-scale solar projects. (PV Magazine)

NEW FROM CANARY

• Suddenly, the US manufactures a ton of grid batteries — Julian Spector

• Ann Arbor, Michigan, prepares to launch its own clean energy utility — Carey L. Biron

• Trump’s latest attempt to derail EV-charger construction — Kathryn Krawczyk