Wright defends Empire Wind restart

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OFFSHORE WIND

• U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright finds defends the Trump administration’s decision to allow the Empire Wind project to move forward, saying offshore wind in general has been a ​“train wreck,” but billions of dollars had already been spent on the development. (E&E News)

• The Delaware Senate passes a bill that would undo a county-level rejection of a plan to build a key electrical substation needed to carry power from the planned US Wind project off the Maryland and Delaware coast. (Coast TV)

TRANSMISSION

• Utilities around the country, including in New Jersey, wait to hear the fate of $23 billion in federal loan guarantees intended to bolster transmission projects and prepare the grid to carry a growing power load. (E&E News)

• A hearing to determine the procedural timeline for a proposed transmission project through three Maryland counties became contentious as opponents argued the developer is trying to rush the project through despite fierce opposition among residents. (WBAL)

GRID

• Retrofitting aging fossil fuel-fired power plants with newer, cleaner technology could serve as an important bridge to the clean energy future, New York grid operator NYISO says in a new report. (RTO Insider)

DATA CENTERS

• Companies are considering building data centers needing up to 2 GW of energy near hydropower facilities in New York, while 2.5 GW of demand from data centers and other large users is expected to come online by 2035, according to the New York Power Authority. (Reuters)

LEGISLATION

• Massachusetts municipal leaders speak out in support of Gov. Maura Healey’s sprawling energy bill, which aims to save residents $10 billion over 10 years by reducing fees, changing procurement practices, putting more restrictions on the competitive supply industry, and exploring nuclear generation. (State House News Service)

• Proponents of the New York HEAT Act, which aims to boost the state’s transition away from natural gas, tweak the bill and rebrand it as the Customer Savings and Reliability Act in an attempt to gain traction before the end of the legislative session. (Spectrum News)

SOLAR

• A 2.3-MW, newly completed solar project in Connecticut will provide power to a community college and a state university, saving the campuses $6 million over 20 years. (Hartford Courant)

TRASH-TO-ENERGY

• A proposed trash-burning power plant in Connecticut could still be greenlighted by the state, despite a town vote in which residents overwhelmingly rejected the plan over concerns about air quality and traffic. (Norwich Bulletin)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• Eight Massachusetts school districts receive state grants to replace diesel school buses with electric ones. (WWLP)

WORKFORCE

• A Maryland solar developer partners with a community college to train students — particularly career-changers and returning students — for jobs in the clean energy sector. (news release)

NEW FROM CANARY MEDIA

• Prominent solar companies, including residential provider Sunnova and lender Solar Mosaic, have filed for bankruptcy amid mounting challenges for the industry, Jeff St. John reports.

• Southern California regulators reject rules that would’ve encouraged adoption of electric heat pumps and water heaters, and which would’ve helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the smog-plagued area, Alison F. Takemura reports.

• A new survey finds support for renewable energy has fallen among both Republicans and Democrats over the last five years, while backing for expanding fossil fuels and nuclear production has grown, Pam Radtke reports.