Week of September 28, 2026

BALTIMORE, Oct 1 — The Maryland Public Service Commission said it has conditionally selected two transmission-connected energy storage projects for Energy Storage Capacity Credit awards in the first round of the state's Next Generation Energy Act procurement.

The 400-megawatt Chalk Point Storage Project in Prince George's County and the 40-megawatt Jade Meadow III Battery Storage Project in Garrett County would together provide 440 megawatts of four-hour storage under flat, 15-year award terms, subject to the commission's conditions. The commission said their combined estimated cost is 6.98 cents per month for a typical Maryland residential customer.

"While we are disappointed that these awards are below our 800-megawatt target for Round 1, our Round 2 solicitation is expected to attract many more offers due to a pool of over 40 additional energy storage projects from PJM’s Cycle 1 interconnection process," Commission Chair Kumar Barve said. Both projects must apply to the commission for construction approval, and the commission said it will issue a Round 2 Request for Applications by Jan 1, 2027.

LONDON — The UK government has opened applications for the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS), which it said will cut manufacturers' electricity costs by up to 25%, with Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds urging eligible manufacturers to apply before registrations close on Nov 30.

More than 10,000 businesses across Great Britain could receive support from April 2027, the government said. Eligible businesses in England, Scotland and Wales will be exempt from paying the indirect costs of the Renewables Obligation, Feed-in Tariffs and Capacity Market, it said, adding that the percentage discount will depend on the underlying electricity price paid by each eligible company.

Businesses confirmed as eligible will also be in line for an additional lump-sum payment equivalent to around a year's relief from the scheme, available only to those applying this year, according to the government. It said the Northern Ireland Executive will receive funding to implement an equivalent scheme, subject to business case development.

BEIJING, Sept 30 — China's National Energy Administration (NEA) is seeking public comment on a draft revision of the Regulations on the Management of Power Grid-Connected Operation, according to a notice dated Sept 30 from the agency's General Affairs Department.

The NEA said in the notice that it had revised the current regulations, document Guonengfa Jianguan Gui [2021] No. 60, to produce the draft for comment. The notice said the revision was aimed at implementing decisions on deepening power sector reform and building a unified national electricity market, regulating the management of grid-connected operation of the power system, and safeguarding the safe, high-quality and economic operation of the power system and the lawful rights and interests of relevant market entities.

The notice said the revision was based on laws and regulations including the Energy Law, the Electricity Law, the Regulations on the Administration of Power Grid Dispatching and the Regulations on Electricity Supervision. Comments may be sent by fax to 010-81929559 or by email to jianguanerchu@nea.gov.cn within 30 days of the notice's publication, the NEA said.

SALINAS, Puerto Rico — New air monitoring commissioned by Earthjustice found elevated levels of ethylene oxide (EtO), a cancer-causing chemical, in Salinas, Puerto Rico, the environmental group said, as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a settlement with sterilizer Steri-Tech, Inc.

The July 2026 monitoring detected EtO across the La Margarita and Brisas del Mar neighborhoods to the west and northwest of Steri-Tech. Concentrations measured downwind of the facility were substantially higher than those measured upwind, which Earthjustice said indicates that Steri-Tech's emissions contribute to elevated EtO levels in the surrounding community.

EPA, represented by the U.S. Department of Justice, sued Steri-Tech in federal court in June 2025, alleging the company violated federal and Puerto Rico law by failing to operate its air pollution control equipment, leading to unlawful EtO emissions. The proposed settlement, announced in September 2026, would require a 99.99% reduction of EtO from sterilization chamber vents, additional reporting and stipulated penalties. Earthjustice said the proposal does not require direct monitoring of EtO emissions or ambient air monitoring around the facility.

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct 1 — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) granted California's request to extend the attainment date for the South Coast Air Basin under the 2012 annual fine particulate matter standards from Dec 31, 2025, to Dec 31, 2030, according to a final action published on Thursday.

EPA said it extended the "Serious" area attainment date after concluding that the State had satisfied the requirements of Clean Air Act section 188(e), under which a State may apply for an extension of up to five years. The agency said the State must provide for implementation of the most stringent measures no later than Jan 1, 2030, and that all four measures identified in the State's plan are in effect in the South Coast Air Basin.

EPA said the Clean Air Act does not require it to act on the submitted attainment demonstration before granting the extension, and that it intends to act on the 2024 South Coast PM2.5 Plan in a future action. The extension is effective Nov 2, 2026, and petitions for judicial review must be filed by Nov 30, 2026.

PORTERVILLE, Calif. — The Bureau of Reclamation, in partnership with the Friant Water Authority, broke ground on Phase 1 of the Friant-Kern Canal Pump Station Replacement Project, which the agency said would improve long-term water reliability for communities, farms and businesses in the San Joaquin Valley.

The Department of the Interior invested $200 million to upgrade the canal's aging pump stations, Reclamation said in a news release. Phase 1 will replace five pump stations, launching a two-phase effort that will ultimately modernize 13 stations, according to the release. Reclamation said the project will support 250,000 residents in underserved communities, and that the canal carries water from Millerton Lake near Fresno to farms and communities across Kern, Tulare, Fresno, and Kings counties.

Preconstruction activities, including design, permitting, and environmental compliance, are underway, with construction continuing into 2027, Reclamation said.

EL PASO, Texas — A federal judge has issued an emergency injunction blocking border barrier and road construction across the Big Bend region, the Center for Biological Diversity, one of the plaintiffs in the underlying lawsuit, said in a statement.

The injunction, issued by U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone, will remain in place while the court considers a lawsuit challenging the federal government's waiver of environmental laws and other laws to fast-track construction, the group said. The Center said the injunction was sought by the Center, Friends of the Ruidosa Church and a Big Bend-area river guide and landowner, and that the waiver covers construction through Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park and across the Big Bend region.

Customs and Border Protection announced a pause in construction activities on Aug 17 and that pause lapsed on Sept 30, according to the Center. The group said the agency's online map shows plans to build vehicle barriers and patrol roads across Big Bend National Park.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Tuesday rejected all petitions for rehearing in cases challenging a land exchange that is necessary for the Resolution Copper project in Arizona, the Justice Department said in a press release.

The order leaves in place the March 13 decision by the court's panel, which allowed the federal government to proceed with a congressionally mandated land exchange, the department said. It described the exchange as crucial to advancing development of one of the largest known copper deposits in the world.

"The exchange has resulted in federal ownership of more than 5,400 acres of ecologically and culturally significant land in Arizona," said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the department's Energy and Natural Resource Division (ENRD). Deputy Assistant Attorney General Robert Stander of ENRD argued the appeal, the department said.