Jael Holzman

Washington, D.C., United States

Senior Reporter at Heatmap News

articles: @heatmap_news⚡️ songs: @ekkoastral 🎸

Articles

Trump Targets Solar on Farmland

1 week ago | heatmap.news | Jael Holzman

The Trump administration is joining the war against solar projects on farmland, offering anti-solar activists on the ground a powerful ally against developers across the country. In a report released last week, President Trump’s Agriculture Department took aim at solar and stated competition with “solar development on productive farmland” was creating a “considerable barrier” for farmers trying to acquire land.
A Solar Flare-Up in New York, Battery Aftershocks in California

1 week ago | heatmap.news | Jael Holzman

1. Columbia County, New York – A Hecate Energy solar project in upstate New York blessed by Governor Kathy Hochul is now getting local blowback. Last week, the Hochul administration granted many solar projects their renewable energy certificates, including Hecate’s Shepherd’s Run solar project in the town of Copake. Shepherd’s Run has struggled for years with its application process and was previously rejected by state land use regulators.
How Are Renewable Energy Developers Reacting to IRA Cuts?

1 week ago | heatmap.news | Jael Holzman

This week’s conversation is with Mike Hall, CEO of the solar and battery storage data company Anza. I rang him because, in my book, the more insights into the ways renewables companies are responding to the war on the Inflation Reduction Act, the better. The following chat was lightly edited for clarity. Let’s jump in!How much do we know about developers’ reactions to the anti-IRA bill that was passed out of the House last week? So it’s only been a few days.
Renewables at War in the Worcesters

2 weeks ago | heatmap.news | Jael Holzman

1. Worcester County, Massachusetts – The town of Oakham is piping mad about battery energy storage. A Rhynland Energy BESS facility filed a request with Massachusetts regulators in April to override longstanding local reservations against battery storage, dating back to a previous project fight from 2022. Local conservative organizations have been amplifying opposition to the project.
The Most Pressing Question for Energy Developers After the House’s IRA Cuts

2 weeks ago | heatmap.news | Jael Holzman

This week I had the privilege of speaking with Heather Cooper, a tax attorney at McDermitt Will & Emery who is consulting with renewables developers on how to handle the likelihood of an Inflation Reduction Act repeal in Congress.
Virginia Counties Clamp Down on Solar Projects

2 weeks ago | heatmap.news | Jael Holzman

The Commonwealth of Virginia is clamping down on solar farms. At least 39 counties in Virginia – 41% of all the state’s counties – now have some form of restriction on solar development, according to a new analysis of Heatmap Pro data. Many of these counties adopted ordinances significantly reducing how much land can be used and capping the total acreage of land allowed for solar projects. Some have gone further by banning new solar facilities altogether.
Trump Is Making Risky Bets in Pursuit of a Mining Boom

2 weeks ago | heatmap.news | Jael Holzman

President Donald Trump is chasing a new American mining boom. In the process, he’s making quick bets on projects that haven’t completed routine financial analyses or would be situated in environmentally sensitive areas with significant legal risk — and occasionally both at the same time.
How the GOP Tax Bill Would Supercharge Renewable Energy NIMBYs

3 weeks ago | heatmap.news | Jael Holzman

This week I chatted with Jillian Blanchard, vice president of climate change and environmental justice with Lawyers for Good Government, an organization that has been supporting beneficiaries of the Inflation Reduction Act navigate the uncertainties surrounding tax credits and grant programs under the Trump administration. The reason I wanted to chat with Jillian is simple: the IRA is under threat for the first time under a Republican Congress.
Offshore Wind Opponents Zero in on Orsted’s Sunrise Wind and Revolution Wind

3 weeks ago | heatmap.news | Jael Holzman

The sharks of opposition are circling the American offshore wind industry, as they await the federal government’s next victims. This week, we received news that Equinor – developer of the Empire Wind project – is inching towards potentially canceling development after a visit to Washington and the White House yielded little success. In addition, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told Fox Business that the department is now reviewing all offshore wind permits issued under the Biden administration.
It’s Hard Out Here for a Tiny Solar Farm in Upstate New York

3 weeks ago | heatmap.news | Jael Holzman

1. St. Lawrence County, New York – It’s hard out here for a 2-megawatt solar project in upstate New York. A Delaware River Solar project proposed in the town of Madrid is sparking fire concerns, with county officials now supposedly seeking guidance from the state on the risk of a blaze occurring from any solar farms or energy storage sites attached to them.