This week in NetZero Insider policy news, Vincent Gabrielle covered the Northeast States Collaborative on Interregional Transmission’s strategic action plan. The nine states are looking into ways they can collaborate on building interregional transmission, which could involve ISO-NE, NYISO and PJM working in an advisory capacity alongside the states for interregional plans.

NetZero’s John Cropley had a story on DNV Energy’s Industry Insights report, which was based on a survey of industry executives. It found some reasons for long-term optimism on the energy transition, despite near-term uncertainty from the Trump administration and its opposition to the idea of a transition. Some 55% of respondents found the transition was accelerating, which was down from 72% in 2024 and 79% in 2023. A major source of agreement was that the grid needs to be modernized, with 96% agreeing and 75% saying it presents an obstacle to adopting renewables. 

New Jersey is one of two states having a gubernatorial election this fall (Virginia is the other.), and NetZero’s Hugh Morley looked into its potential impact on clean energy. Six Democrats and five Republicans are in the race, with primaries scheduled for June 10. Incumbent Phil Murphy (D) is term-limited, and the field overall is less friendly to clean energy than he has been. Murphy backed clean energy in major ways, including several massive offshore wind developments that have stalled because of supply chain issues and hostility from the White House. Republican candidates are blaming Murphy’s policies for the rising prices in PJM’s market, and Democrats are not leaping to those policies’ defense. 

The Hill reported on a poll from Conservative Texans for Energy Innovation finding broad support for letting landowners decide whether to lease or sell for renewable development. Some 91% of respondents support landowners’ ability to use their own acres for wind and solar development. The poll comes as the Texas Senate has passed two bills — S.B. 819 and S.B. 388 — that, respectively, would restrict that ability and require every watt of renewables coming onto the grid to be paired with a watt of natural gas (or coal). 

Canary Media wrote about a bill making its way through the Connecticut legislature aimed at lowering power costs that critics argue could cut into its progress cleaning up the grid. The bill would cut credits for solar and redirect some to ensure Dominion Energy’s Millstone nuclear plant stays open. 

Read other stories in this week’s Intelligence Report: