Illinois' Proposed Storage Bill Halts Due to Unspecified Reasons

In the realm of U.S. energy and environmental policies, a flurry of activity has been observed in recent times. Here's a roundup of some key developments:

Maryland residents seeking new gas service will now have to foot the bill for the connection, following a decision by public utilities regulators. This move conflicts with the state's climate goals, as outlined by the Baltimore Sun.

Meanwhile, New Jersey lawmakers are pushing for legislation to increase the state's community solar capacity by 50%. The aim is to help residents reduce their high utility bills, as reported by Gothamist.

The U.S. EPA's enforcement of oil and gas industry regulations in Midwestern states has been lax, according to sources, due to the Trump administration's push to boost production, as reported by CNN.

On a more positive note, major companies in sectors such as fossil fuel, finance, tech, and others are retracting or abandoning their once-ambitious climate commitments, as revealed by Bloomberg.

Ohio utility regulators are set to determine whether FirstEnergy will have to pay penalties exceeding half a billion dollars in response to the HB 6 power plant bailout scandal, as reported by Canary Media.

A group of 12 advocacy organizations has sued the Trump administration to reverse an order giving nearly 70 coal-fired power plants an exemption from certain EPA regulations on emissions of mercury and other pollutants.

A solar trade group suggests that cutting federal clean energy tax credits could eliminate about 70% of Ohio's 8,000-person solar workforce, threatening the state's growing solar manufacturing industry.

The Senate Finance Committee is expected to release its portion of the "Big, Beautiful Bill" dealing with clean energy tax credits today, as reported by E&E News.

This year, more than 200 bills related to nuclear energy have been filed in Democratic- and Republican-led states, with many going into law as states grapple with increasing power demand, according to E&E News.

Minnesota's former state House Speaker, who was assassinated in her home on Saturday, was a major power behind the state's climate policies, as reported by E&E News.

The organizations that have recently filed lawsuits against the Trump Administration in the United States to reverse the rollback of environmental pollution regulations in the energy sector include the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island, as well as the offshore energy developer Ørsted, particularly over the stoppage of the Revolution Wind Project.

The federal court has upheld the Biden administration's approval of the Willow drilling project in Alaska, allowing construction to continue, but has ordered the Bureau of Land Management to address a flaw in its environmental review, as reported by Alaska Beacon.

Clean energy advocates and companies are grappling with the failure of an Illinois bill that would've incentivized energy storage and other power grid investments, as reported by Canary Media.

The Mountain Valley Pipeline, a year after entering service, is still undergoing restoration and erosion control efforts, with critics stating that the damage to forested land is irreparable, as reported by Roanoke Times.

A new report suggests that the budget bill passed by the House could threaten up to 300,000 clean energy-related jobs, along with hundreds of thousands more indirect jobs.

Lastly, the EPA's proposed rollback of power plant emissions rules could have severe health and climate consequences, but a long legal road still lies ahead, as reported by Canary Media.