New England leaders assess impact of offshore wind order

OFFSHORE WIND: Officials and climate advocates assess the likely impact of President Trump’s pause on new offshore wind leases and permits, with some expressing optimism that most ongoing developments will be unaffected and others worrying about stranded investments, job losses, and delayed progress toward climate goals. (WBUR, Boston Globe, Maine Morning Star)

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ALSO: Days before the inauguration, federal regulators give a wind farm off Massachusetts the go-ahead to continue construction and energy production after the failure of a turbine blade in July halted the operation. (Vineyard Gazette)

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EFFICIENCY:

• In his last days in office, former President Biden approved federal funding to support rebates for energy-efficient appliances in more than 20 states, including more than $500 million going to Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. (WHYY)
• A western Massachusetts city prepares for next week’s launch of rules prohibiting new natural gas hookups in new construction or major renovations as part of a 10-town pilot program to test such bans. (Daily Hampshire Gazette)
• Providence, Rhode Island, completes its first year of requiring larger public buildings to report their energy usage, and will soon expand the requirement to privately owned buildings greater than 50,000 square feet. (Providence Journal)

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CLEAN ENERGY:

• Boosted by funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, a USDA program awards more than $16 million to 50 New Jersey small businesses to support installation of solar arrays, electric vehicle chargers, and other clean energy measures. (New Jersey Business Magazine)
• Trump’s order halting distribution of funds from the Inflation Reduction Act is likely to mean lost jobs in New England’s clean tech sector, says a former New England EPA administrator. (WGBH)

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UTILITIES: New Hampshire regulators instruct utilities to buy some electricity on day-to-day markets rather than acquiring it all in six-month advance contracts, a move the state’s consumer advocate says could make residents vulnerable to unexpected price spikes. (Concord Monitor)

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TRANSPORTATION: New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a longtime opponent of New York’s congestion pricing, asks Trump to take a “close look” at the program, saying it did not receive enough federal scrutiny before its launch earlier this year. (The Hill)

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NATURAL GAS: In Maryland, Democratic state lawmakers contemplate turning to natural gas to help address tight power supplies and rising prices. (Fox Baltimore)

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COAL: Maryland identifies nearly 100 coal ash dumps holding 200 million pounds of ash across the Chesapeake Bay region, many of which are unmonitored or poorly mitigated, allowing toxins to seep into the groundwater. (Bay Journal)

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COMMENTARY: Connecticut should modify policies and increase program funding to unlock community solar’s benefits for disadvantaged communities, says a local college student studying urban planning. (CT Mirror)

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