Briefings
What changed in environmental, land-use and permitting rules for development in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania: what happened, who is affected and the next date that matters.
- MediumNew Jersey
New Jersey holds October 15 hearings on a tighter power plant carbon cap from 2027
A pending state proposal would align New Jersey’s carbon allowance program with the regional model rule from January 2027; comments close November 7, and a separate hearing addresses allowance prices and bills.
- MediumPennsylvania
Pennsylvania requires proof of a water supplier before towns give final approval to development plans
From December 7, subdivision and land development plans served by public or community water need documented supply arrangements before final approval, though proof of adequate capacity is not required.
- MediumPennsylvania
Pennsylvania board to consider stricter protection for 16 stream basins on October 13
On October 13, 2026 the Environmental Quality Board is to consider a proposal to redesignate 16 stream basins covering 138.47 miles, most as Exceptional Value. New or expanded discharges would face antidegradation review and individual permits. A proposal only; comment dates are not yet set.
- MediumNew York
New York court blocks commercial tax class for vacant residential lots outside Manhattan
Two appellate rulings require New York City to tax vacant residential lots in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island in class one, and let owners correct some past years.
- LowNew Jersey
Delaware River basin proposal would make New Jersey water suppliers report their largest customers' use
A Delaware River Basin Commission proposal, not yet in force, would require public water suppliers in four states to report monthly use by customers taking 50,000 gallons a day or more.
- MediumNew York County, NY
New York high court upholds SoHo and NoHo conversion fee; Supreme Court conference October 9
The Court of Appeals held on January 13, 2026 that the $100-per-square-foot fee to convert artist live-work units to ordinary residential use is not a taking. A petition asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review that ruling is set for its October 9 conference.
- HighNew York
New York City adopts fast-track land-use review and housing appeals board rules, effective November 14
City Planning rules set eligibility, deadlines and fees for a shorter review of qualifying rezonings and the procedure for a board that can restore housing approvals the City Council rejects or changes.
- HighPennsylvania
Federal: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and central Pennsylvania counties may face stricter air permits under soot standard
EPA has signaled which areas may be found to violate the 2024 fine-particle standard, including four South Jersey counties. Comments close November 5; final designations are due by February 6, 2027.
- MediumErie County, NY
New York appeals court holds brownfield cleanup kept Buffalo scrap yard's grandfathered use alive
The Fourth Department upheld a zoning board finding that ongoing state brownfield remediation continued a nonconforming scrap yard use, so a new operator needed no use variance.
- LowHudson County, NJ
New Jersey Meadowlands authority sets October 20 hearing on changes to Kearny redevelopment zoning
The Sports and Exposition Authority will take comment on October 20, 2026 on amendments to the Kearny Area Redevelopment Plan, which governs about 445 acres of industrial, retail and landfill land. The draft does not mark what is new. The written comment deadline was not readable.
- MediumWindham County, CT
Connecticut Siting Council keeps Plainfield waste-to-energy petition on declaratory-ruling track; hearing October 22
The Council declined on October 1, 2026 to convert the 45-megawatt Plainfield petition into a full certificate case. The declaratory-ruling proceeding continues, with a remote hearing on October 22, 2026 and a decision deadline stated as August 2, 2027.
- HighNew York
New York City names 12 districts where qualifying affordable housing bypasses City Council review from 2027
Qualifying applications in the listed districts get a 90-day public review starting January 1, 2027, so land use timelines and contract contingencies tied to the standard process need review.
- MediumNew York
New York ties certificates of occupancy for older rentals in 25 communities to lead safety filing
From October 1, 2026, code officials in 25 upstate and suburban communities must find a lead safety certification on file before issuing inspection-based certificates for pre-1980 rental buildings with two or more units.
- HighPennsylvania
Pennsylvania proposes cutting power to data centers first when the regional grid runs short
State utility regulators propose that utilities curtail large computing loads lacking their own new capacity before other customers in grid emergencies; comments are due 30 days after Bulletin publication.
- MediumConnecticut
Connecticut bars leases that bill tenants for utilities their own unit meter does not measure
From October 1, 2026, Connecticut leases signed or renewed cannot make tenants pay utility charges unless a separate meter measures their unit's own use; such terms are unenforceable.
- LowConnecticut
Connecticut gives special-act towns full zoning enforcement powers, including $2,500 civil penalties and injunctions
From October 1, 2026, towns that zone under special acts may use the general statute's orders, court fines, injunctions and civil penalties against zoning violations.
- HighConnecticut
Connecticut bars state solar approvals in towns above set land-area shares until July 2027
A temporary bar on Siting Council solar approvals in certain towns runs to July 1, 2027, and new emergency-contact and incident-reporting duties for generating facilities start October 1, 2026.
- MediumConnecticut
Connecticut requires apartment building owners to file elevator repair plans within 48 hours of outages
Since October 1, 2026, owners of Connecticut buildings with housing and an elevator must notify tenants of outages within 24 hours and file a contractor's repair plan with the town within 48.
- MediumFairfield County, CT
Connecticut grants contested hearing on Brookfield gas compressor expansion before air permits issue, groups report
State environmental regulators have granted a trial-type hearing on air permits for two new gas turbines at the Iroquois pipeline's Brookfield station, according to Save the Sound; no date is set.
- MediumConnecticut
Connecticut pauses required building code updates until 2030 models while its delayed 2026 code awaits approval
A law in force since October 1, 2026 lengthens the state's code update cycle, while the codes built on the 2024 model codes still lack legislative approval and an effective date.
- MediumConnecticut
Connecticut extends as-of-right accessory units to special-act towns and limits water company hookup charges
From October 1, 2026, towns that zone under special acts must allow one accessory dwelling unit as of right, and investor-owned water companies face the connection-fee limits already applied to towns and authorities.
- MediumNew Jersey
New Jersey Pinelands towns ban data centers as state commission lets eleven local bans take effect
By the end of September 2026, the Pinelands Commission had cleared data center bans in eleven towns and a moratorium in a twelfth, with more ordinances awaiting review.
- MediumNew York
New York City reports 95% of properties filed under building emissions law; stricter limits start 2030
The Department of Buildings' first-year report on Local Law 97 shows 95% of large buildings' owners filed for 2024 and 95% of Article 320 filers met their limit. Owners that did not file or exceeded limits face notices and penalties; the 2030 limits are stricter.
- HighNew Jersey
New Jersey large new loads could be curtailed first in emergencies from June 2027 under filing
On September 29, 2026 FERC accepted the regional grid operator's one-time capacity backstop but suspended it to February 28, 2027 for a paper hearing. A separate service that would curtail new large loads first, starting June 1, 2027, awaits a ruling PJM has asked for by October 12.
- MediumNew Jersey
New Jersey governor announces a permit “shot clock” for housing projects, with details still to come
The September 29 plan promises a permit shot clock and a doubling of housing production on State-owned land from 20,000 to 40,000 homes, but the announcement does not say which permits or how many days.
- MediumUnion County, NJ
New Jersey appeals court bars Elizabeth from ending a mixed-use project's tax exemption by ordinance
An unpublished ruling holds that Elizabeth's repeal of three tax-exemption agreements for a mixed-use redevelopment project impaired the developer's contracts, and sends the remaining disputes to arbitration.
- MediumNew Jersey
New Jersey weighs up to 129 Opportunity Zone tracts, with housing a priority, by October 28
New Jersey will nominate new federal Opportunity Zones by an extended October 28 deadline, ranking tracts partly on housing capacity; designations would run from January 1, 2027, through 2036.
- LowHudson County, NJ
New Jersey governor vetoes bill letting Jersey City use open space trust money for its budget
On September 28, 2026 the Governor vetoed S-4513, which would have let Jersey City, the only municipality that qualified, move voter-approved open space, recreation, floodplain protection, farmland and historic preservation money into its budget for fiscal year 2027. The trust fund stays restricted.
- MediumNew Jersey
New Jersey ends site plan and variance review for electric vehicle chargers at existing buildings
A law approved September 28, 2026 makes approval of EV charging equipment at existing service stations, retail sites and buildings a non-discretionary permit, limits local review to specific safety impacts, and reaches pending applications. It took effect immediately; the chapter text could not be read.
- MediumFairfield County, CT
Connecticut proposes ending federal hazardous waste cleanup oversight at former GE Bridgeport plant, with building limits
State regulators tentatively find cleanup complete on 30.2 acres at 1285 Boston Avenue, relying on a recorded land-use restriction instead of a permit; comments are due November 12, 2026.
- LowConnecticut
Connecticut picks 63.4 MW of out-of-state solar in regional buy; energy strategy comments due October 16
DEEP and its New England partners announced 102.4 MW of solar selections on September 24, 2026, of which 63.4 MW are Connecticut's, all outside Connecticut, with delivery required by the end of 2032. Nuclear proposals are still under review. Written comments on the next Comprehensive Energy Strategy are due October 16, 2026.
- MediumDauphin County, PA
Federal: Regulators find no significant impact from restarting Pennsylvania's Three Mile Island reactor
Federal nuclear and energy agencies issued a final environmental finding for the Crane Clean Energy Center restart, and the nuclear regulator upheld denial of a hearing; license decisions remain pending.
- MediumPennsylvania
Federal rule limits challenges to construction air permits through operating-permit reviews, effective October 26
A final federal rule says preconstruction air permits issued with public comment and court review define a plant's requirements in its operating permit, narrowing grounds for federal objections and citizen petitions.
- LowLuzerne County, PA
Federal: Transco seeks approval for Luzerne County gas pipeline loop; party deadline October 13
Transco asked federal regulators on September 4 to approve a $54.7 million, 3.38-mile pipeline loop and compressor work in northeastern Pennsylvania; scoping comments are due November 2.
- MediumChester County, PA
Pennsylvania: East Whiteland ends data center pause, limits new centers to industrial district by conditional use
A Chester County township closed a six-month zoning pause by adopting data center rules on September 24, 2026; the posted final draft sets 1,250-foot buffers, night noise caps and closed-loop cooling.
- LowConnecticut
Connecticut nuclear bids still undecided as state prepares town opt-in host program and site grants
On September 24, 2026 DEEP said it is still evaluating nuclear proposals in its zero-carbon procurement. A 2025 law lets towns opt in to host advanced reactors and funds site readiness grants; two 2026 data-center bills were not taken up before the session ended on May 6.
- LowClinton County, NY
New York permits North Country wind farm rebuild, cutting turbines from 54 to 25
The State's renewable siting office approved a 91-megawatt repowering of the Ellenburg wind farm in Clinton and Franklin Counties, about six months after finding the application complete.
- MediumNew York
New York awards contracts for 950 megawatts of grid batteries, including two Bronx projects
The State's first bulk storage solicitation contracted eight battery projects that are paid only once operating and must be in service by the end of 2030, alongside 13 wind, solar and hydro projects.
- MediumMiddlesex County, NJ
New Jersey weighs diesel generator permit for South Brunswick data center; comments now due November 9
A draft state air permit for twelve emergency diesel generators at a data center under construction on Route 1 drew a crowded hearing, a neighboring town's objection and a longer comment period.
- MediumAllegheny County, PA
Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh bill would allow two accessory units per lot and drop parking minimums
Pittsburgh City Council held a hearing September 23 on a pending zoning bill that would also offer extra height for affordable units; no vote has been taken.
- HighCumberland County, NJ
New Jersey fines Vineland data center $1.07 million for running 62 unpermitted gas generators
The state's largest penalty against a data center gives the developer 45 days to obtain air permits or stop running the generators, a warning for projects using on-site bridge power.
- HighNew JerseyFree to read
New Jersey adopts one-year extension letting complete applications use its older land-use rules until July 2027
Applications the state declares administratively and technically complete before July 20, 2027 will be reviewed under the pre-2026 land-use rules rather than the climate-adjusted flood standards.
- LowHudson County, NJ
New Jersey's Hudson River waterfront projects need a state permit, a public walkway and flood review
Local redevelopment approvals along the Hudson do not settle the state waterfront permit, which carries a permanent public walkway obligation and, unless an application qualifies for legacy review, the climate-adjusted flood standards.
- MediumNew Jersey
New Jersey proposes lower renewable energy purchase targets for 2026 through 2029, comments due November 20
A proposal would cut the Class I renewable energy percentage that electricity suppliers must buy for each energy year from 2026 to 2029, which could lower demand and prices for Class I certificates. It is not in force. Comments close November 20, 2026; the notice lists no hearing.
- MediumPennsylvania
Pennsylvania regulators examine who pays for data center grid costs; panel applications due October 14
The Public Utility Commission will hold a November 17 technical conference on allocating costs caused by data centers and other large loads, with written comments due November 13 and December 18.
- MediumNew York
New York City lets late 421-a rental projects switch options to reach 2031 deadline
A city rule lets Option C and G projects that missed the June 15, 2026 completion date change affordability options and remain eligible for the exemption, if they filed a timely letter of intent.
- MediumNew Jersey
New Jersey Highlands panel seeks comment by November 18 on possible land and water plan changes
Recommendations on water use, sewer and water extensions, impervious cover and historic review could lead to amendments to the regional plan governing development in the Highlands.
- HighNew York
New York opens comments on scope of statewide data center environmental review; deadline October 20
The study that must be finished before state permits for large data centers resume now has a draft outline, and its final shape may govern how later projects are reviewed.
- MediumNew York
New York approves 90-mile underground power line linking Long Island to Westchester; construction plans pending
The Public Service Commission adopted the settlement for the Propel NY Energy Project on September 17, 2026, but construction waits on approval of phased construction plans.
- MediumPennsylvania
Federal rule drops carbon capture mandate for new gas plants and repeals limits on existing units
EPA's September 17 rule, effective November 16, removes carbon capture requirements for new baseload gas turbines and existing coal and gas units, while a broader repeal proposal takes comments until November 2.
- MediumNew Jersey
New Jersey seeks comment by October 16 on new state approval of utility transmission upgrades
Under a law signed July 7, 2026, utilities must obtain a Board of Public Utilities certificate for supplemental transmission projects. The Board's September 2026 notice asks for information by 5 p.m. on October 16, 2026, and rules are due about 270 days after enactment.
- MediumConnecticut
Connecticut approves Ellington orchard solar as farm agency says it cannot review non-prime soils
The Siting Council approved a 4.99-megawatt array on an orchard with soils of statewide importance, which fall outside the agriculture department's review, and applied the 2026 emergency-contact rule.
- MediumKings County, NY
New York proposes higher water quality classification for Newtown Creek; comments due in late November
The proposal moves the creek from Class SD to Class I; the State Register notice says comments close five days after the last hearing, so owners and applicants along the creek should confirm the deadline.
- LowNew Haven County, CT
Connecticut reviews Amazon drone delivery hub at North Haven warehouse; comments close October 15
Federal aviation regulators asked the state to confirm that up to 1,000 daily drone deliveries from a warehouse hub fit Connecticut's coastal program; state comments run through October 15, 2026.
- MediumNew York
New York City outlines truck-pollution duties for warehouses of 50,000 square feet or more
The City's environmental agency described a proposed points system, based on truck trips, that large warehouse operators would have to meet, with environmental review due to start this fall and an estimated 2028 start.
- HighNew York
New York issues voluntary $1 million per megawatt data center benchmark; DEC permit pause continues
The September 15 framework leaves the pause on DEC permits for large data centers in place and gives towns a voluntary contribution benchmark to use in negotiations, so site contract deadlines need review.
- MediumConnecticut
Federal: Habitat damage no longer counts as 'harm' to listed species; states including Connecticut sue
The rescission took effect September 14, 2026 and applies to the four states. Habitat modification alone no longer counts as prohibited take under federal rules, but consultation and critical habitat duties remain. A state coalition including CT, NJ and NY has challenged it.
- MediumNew York
New York wind and solar projects face separate state siting and grid connection clocks
State siting permits for large wind and solar projects run on statutory deadlines, while grid connection runs on the grid operator's separate study cycle, which those deadlines do not govern.
- MediumNew York
New York City makes its anti-harassment permit check permanent and widens the buildings it covers
A law enacted September 12 keeps the no-harassment certificate required before demolition and major alteration permits past its 2026 sunset, with a new building list due by April 15, 2027.
- MediumWindham County, CT
Connecticut Siting Council closes record on 50-megawatt Sterling-Plainfield solar plan; decision due by February 2027
Docket 550, a 50-megawatt solar project on nine parcels in Sterling and Plainfield, closed its evidentiary record on August 11, 2026. About 43 to 45 acres of core forest would be cleared, the main contested point. The Council's final decision deadline, extended with the applicant's consent, is February 17, 2027.
- MediumHartford County, CT
Connecticut weighs Eversource's rebuild of 10.7 miles of power lines; comments due October 10
Petition 1720, filed September 8, 2026, asks the Siting Council to rule that Eversource's Southington to Berlin to Black Rock rebuild, estimated at $204 million, needs no certificate. It would replace 140 structures with 177, with taller poles. The schedule lists October 10, 2026 for comments and party requests.
- HighNew Jersey
Federal proposal would regulate only streams and wetlands with water all year; comments close October 9
A supplemental federal proposal would narrow which waters need Army Corps permits in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania to those holding water every day in ordinary conditions; current rules apply meanwhile.
- MediumNew Jersey
New Jersey opens 300-megawatt community solar block for 5-to-20-megawatt projects on rooftops, landfills and contaminated sites
A September 9, 2026 BPU order implementing a new law lets community solar projects up to 20 MW register through December 31, 2028, sets a 33-month build window and defers escrow forfeiture. Eligible sites are limited to rooftops, landfills, contaminated sites and mining sites.
- MediumSalem County, NJ
New Jersey regulators will hear utility's 500-megawatt Salem County battery plan once its filing is complete
The state utility board named a presiding commissioner for Atlantic City Electric's request to own a 500-megawatt battery plant and recover its cost from customers, after staff found the petition incomplete.
- MediumFairfield County, CT
Connecticut town of Trumbull bars new data centers for two years, exempting its existing site
Trumbull's council adopted a two-year moratorium on new data centers on September 9, while Cromwell's planners rejected a one-year pause and New Haven and Ellington weigh their own.
- HighNew Jersey
Federal: Appeals court voids New Jersey water certification for Raritan Bay gas pipeline expansion
The Third Circuit sent the Northeast Supply Enhancement certification back to New Jersey regulators, holding that monitoring plans needing only “review” and unexplained contaminant findings could not support it.
- HighNew Jersey
New Jersey proposes revised grid battery storage incentive rules and holds back rules for distributed storage
The notice describes how security, delay damages and incentive payments would work for large grid-scale storage projects, while rules for distributed storage await alignment with the virtual power plant program.
- MediumNew York
Federal: Rule narrowing state review of federal water permits reportedly cleared White House review
EPA's January 2026 proposal would limit state water quality certification to the discharge and cut the information states may require. A final rule reportedly cleared OMB review September 4, 2026; no publication was found. The 2023 rule remains in effect.
- MediumConnecticut
Federal: Flood insurance program expires December 11, 2026 unless extended, which could delay flood-zone closings
The federal flood insurance program is authorized only until December 11, 2026. If authority lapses, new policies cannot be written, and the mandatory purchase requirement is enforced by lenders, so closings on flood-zone property in NJ, NY, CT and PA could be delayed. Policies in force continue to their expiration.
- MediumHartford County, CT
Connecticut Siting Council bars early site work on battery storage, approves Manchester project
On July 2, 2026 the Council refused to let a 3.4-megawatt Manchester battery developer pour a pad before its ruling, citing state law; the decision is due by December 7. On September 4, 2026 it approved a 300-kilowatt library battery with a sound wall and fire conditions.
- MediumNew London County, CT
Connecticut Siting Council takes East Lyme solar farm to enforcement hearing over inverter swap and sale
State siting regulators will hear evidence on November 5 on whether the owner of a 5-megawatt East Lyme solar facility broke its approval by replacing equipment and changing hands without notice.
- MediumNew Jersey
Federal: Highway, transit and rail agencies finalize new environmental review rules, in force September 1, 2026
The Federal Highway, Transit and Railroad administrations made their post-CEQ review rules final on September 1, 2026. They govern highway, transit and rail projects in all four states. Exclusion cost thresholds rise to $6 million and $35 million.
- LowNew Jersey
New Jersey bars landlords, associations and towns from banning small plug-in solar panels from March 2027
A new law exempts plug-in solar devices of up to 1,200 watts from utility interconnection and local permits, and voids lease and association rules that prohibit them.
- MediumNew Jersey
New Jersey law gives towns that zone for more housing an edge for state grants
A law signed August 27, 2026, rewards towns that allow accessory units, duplexes, less parking or housing near transit with preference for state grants, road money and school construction aid.
- MediumNew Jersey
New Jersey halves AI data center tax credits and closes the program to new applicants
A new law cuts the state's artificial intelligence and data center credit pool from $500 million to $250 million; the state says the remaining credits are fully allocated.
- MediumChester County, PA
Pennsylvania court tells zoning board to test whether a smaller plan avoids a steep-slope variance
The Commonwealth Court set aside a ruling against Toll's 64-home Chester County plan but ordered the zoning board to decide whether its hardship came from the land or from the plan's density.
- MediumAllegheny County, PA
Pennsylvania approves pilot letting downtown Pittsburgh office-to-housing conversions keep commercial electrical service
A Duquesne Light pilot, in effect since August 27, lets publicly funded conversions with affordable units meter apartments behind existing 277/480-volt commercial service instead of rebuilding it.
- HighNew Jersey
New Jersey sets path for data center electric tariffs requiring 10-year payment guarantees and twice-yearly reporting
Two 2026 laws reach New Jersey data centers: a July 7 tariff law with an 85 percent, 10-year payment guarantee and priority curtailment, and an August 27 law requiring semiannual energy and water reports to the BPU. Board standards are due within 12 months of July 7.
- LowDutchess County, NY
New York appeals court reinstates town denial of shared driveway for three new homes
The Second Department upheld the Town of Pleasant Valley's refusal of a sight-distance variance and open development area approval, reversing a trial court that had ordered the variance granted.
- MediumRockland County, NY
Orangetown, New York, halts new data center and battery storage approvals for 180 days
A Rockland County town has frozen permits for data centers and battery systems while it rewrites its zoning, but data center applications filed before July 1, 2026 may proceed.
- MediumNew Jersey
New Jersey tells towns how to negotiate data center benefit deals and property tax breaks
State guidance lists what towns should cover in community benefits agreements with data center developers, restates labor rules for data center construction, and urges caution on long-term tax exemptions.
- MediumPhiladelphia County, PA
Pennsylvania court reopens whether Philadelphia's Council can appeal zoning approvals for affordable housing
The Commonwealth Court will rehear, the week of October 13, its ruling that a councilmember lacked standing to challenge variances for a Strawberry Mansion senior housing building.
- MediumNew York
New York's water permit for Raritan Bay gas pipeline survives federal appeal as New Jersey's falls
A federal appeals court upheld New York's conditional water quality certification for the Northeast Supply Enhancement pipeline, weeks before another appeals court voided New Jersey's certification for the same project.
- MediumNew Jersey
Federal: Appeals court upholds Superfund listing of two PFAS chemicals; buyers of contaminated sites affected
The D.C. Circuit's August 18, 2026 decision denied the petitions for review, leaving PFOA and PFOS designated as hazardous substances under the federal cleanup law, with release reporting at one pound. It applies to acquisitions and redevelopments in NJ, NY, CT and PA; the court points to the statute's existing liability limits.
- MediumPennsylvania
Pennsylvania: DEP drafts revised small-site construction stormwater permit with new municipal certification route
A draft revision of PAG-01, which DEP reports was published August 22, 2026 with comments closed September 21, would align it with PAG-02 and add a municipal certification route with no impervious-area limits. DEP estimates issuance in January 2027 and effect March 1, 2027.
- HighPennsylvania
Pennsylvania approves revised soil cleanup standards for lead and other contaminants; rule awaits publication
The rule sets a 5 micrograms-per-deciliter default blood-lead target and changes how carcinogenic PAHs are calculated; it takes effect on Bulletin publication, which DEP's October 1 update does not yet show.
- HighPennsylvania
Pennsylvania requires local approvals before state permit review of large data centers
For new applications by data centers above 25 megawatts, a binding consent order allows rolling state review; data centers are removed from fast-track and the sales tax exemption is tied to the conditions.
- MediumNew York
New York City requires a state wetland ruling before approving building plans on flagged lots
Since August 17, new building, enlargement, earthwork and foundation filings on lots flagged for wetlands or coastal erosion need a state jurisdictional determination, and any required state permit, before city approval.
- MediumNew Jersey
New Jersey adopts 2024 construction codes, leaving six months to file under the old ones
New building, energy, electrical and plumbing codes took effect August 17, 2026; complete permit applications may use the prior codes during a six-month grace period reported to end February 17, 2027.
- MediumNew York
Federal: New York grid operator has until November 16 to file data center connection rules
Federal energy regulators paused their challenge to New York's grid rules for loads of 50 megawatts or more, giving the grid operator and utilities 90 days to propose revisions on cost, co-location and flexible service.
- MediumNew York
New York regulators decline to cap solar and storage interconnection costs, require utility cost reporting
At its August 13, 2026 session the Public Service Commission declined to cap developers' interconnection upgrade costs and instead required utility cost and study-timeline reporting, with tariff amendments effective October 1, 2026 and annual filings from March 31, 2027, according to the Department and a copy of the order.
- MediumNew York
New York City begins fining owners whose sidewalk sheds stand without façade repair progress
A Buildings Department rule in force since August 13 sets $5,000 to $20,000 penalties for missed façade repair milestones and requires an engineer's or architect's progress report at each shed renewal.
- MediumNew Jersey
New Jersey awards 16 farm-solar projects totaling 52 megawatts with farmland, soil and wetlands conditions
On August 12, 2026 the Board of Public Utilities conditionally approved 16 dual-use solar projects in eight counties and denied one on wetlands grounds. Awardees face 30- and 90-day filing deadlines, a state permitting meeting, and 15 years of annual farm reporting.
- MediumNew Jersey
Federal: Court returns Atlantic Shores offshore wind approval to federal agency, leaving it in force
A federal court has returned the New Jersey project's construction and operations plan approval to the federal ocean energy bureau for reconsideration without vacating it. A joint status report is due October 9, 2026, then every 60 days.
- MediumOcean County, NJ
New Jersey high court lets towns condemn land without naming the public use in the ordinance
A divided Supreme Court held that a town may name the intended use later, in its condemnation complaint, weeks after ruling that an open-space taking in Jackson was pretextual.
- MediumNew Jersey
New Jersey court approval fixes cleanup funding rules at four former DuPont chemical plants
A federal judge approved New Jersey's PFAS settlement with DuPont, Chemours and Corteva, starting the clock on cleanup financial assurance at Chambers Works, Parlin, Pompton Lakes and Repauno.
- LowNew Jersey
New Jersey will require property sellers to disclose dams before buyers sign contracts
A law approved August 6, 2026, adds dam questions to the seller disclosure form; it applies to sales from the 90th day after the state publishes the revised form.
- MediumConnecticut
Connecticut approves Simsbury golf-course solar on prime farmland soils after developer pledges beekeeping and crops
The Siting Council approved a 4.65-megawatt array on a former golf course after the agriculture department relied on planned farming, and required a bond to restore the prime soils.
- MediumNew York
New York finalizes tighter carbon cap on power plants, effective January 1, 2027
DEC and NYSERDA adopted amendments, effective January 1, 2027, that lower the CO2 allowance budget, add a second cost-containment tier, raise the minimum reserve price and end offsets. The changes bear on electricity generating units and on projects whose economics depend on them.
- MediumNew York
New York defers greenhouse gas reporting enforcement dates after May climate-law amendments
DEC will not enforce several 2026 and 2027 reporting dates in its mandatory emissions rule while it develops amendments to that rule. The state's climate act was amended on May 26, 2026; published summaries report that the deadline for implementing regulations moved to December 31, 2028.
- LowConnecticut
Connecticut auditors fault approval of state's only data center tax break as program stays intact
A state audit finds no record that a required review preceded Connecticut's only data center incentive deal; the 20-to-30-year tax exemptions and host-town agreements remain law.
- MediumFranklin County, PA
Pennsylvania: Franklin County transmission line draws over 100 protests; prehearing conference October 29
Transource's May 21, 2026 application to site a 28.8-mile 230 kV line and new Rice substation faces Public Utility Commission review. A new notice sets October 15 for protests and petitions to intervene and October 29 for an in-person prehearing conference in Harrisburg.
- MediumPennsylvania
Federal: Advisory council advances rewrite of historic review rules for projects needing federal permits or funds
On July 24, 2026 the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation voted to send a proposed overhaul of the Section 106 rules to White House review. No notice has been published, and the current rules remain in effect.
- LowConnecticut
Connecticut moves to renew water-use permits that expire January 2027; comments closed September 18
DEEP's four general permits for water diversions, including testing, cooling and remediation uses, are up for reissuance, and anyone relying on current coverage should compare the new terms before January 18, 2027.
- MediumNew Jersey
New Jersey Supreme Court agrees to review the state's environmental justice permit rules
The Court granted review in July 2026 of the rules that can require denial of permits for new facilities in overburdened communities. The Appellate Division upheld them on January 5, 2026. No stay of the rules was reported; the questions include facilities next to such communities and what counts as a new facility.
- MediumNew Jersey
New Jersey appeals court upholds Pinelands limits on aquifer water diversions; ruling not approved for publication
On July 15, 2026 the Appellate Division affirmed the Pinelands Commission's amendments to its water management rule, which set a 50,000 gallon-per-day diversion threshold. The opinion is not for publication, and Commission staff have asked that it be published. A data center application in Monroe Township is also before the Commission.
- MediumPennsylvania
Pennsylvania plans methane rules for new and existing oil and gas wells; no draft rule yet
On July 24, 2026 the Department of Environmental Protection announced methane rules for oil and gas operations covering leak detection and routine venting and flaring; no draft exists. Draft rules are reported to go to the Environmental Quality Board in 2027. The federal state-plan submission deadline is January 22, 2027.
- MediumPennsylvania
Pennsylvania act reported to require decommissioning security for leased-land solar and displace local rules
Act 44 of 2026, signed July 20, 2026, is reported to require financial assurance and removal within 18 months for commercial solar over 2 megawatts on leased land, and to displace municipal decommissioning provisions, with most provisions taking effect in January 2027. The statute text could not be read.
- MediumNew Jersey
New Jersey's top court will review environmental justice permit rules, which remain in force meanwhile
The appeal tests how the rules reach facilities next to overburdened communities and which operations count as new facilities that can be denied permits.
- MediumNew Jersey
New Jersey must invite proposals for new nuclear plants by January 9 under new law
The Power NJ Act sets a staged state approval for advanced reactors, paid through certificates electricity suppliers must buy, with no payment until a plant delivers power.
- LowNew Jersey
Federal: HUD proposes dropping the higher flood-elevation standard for assisted housing in floodplains
HUD's July 10, 2026 proposal would restore the 100-year floodplain as the standard for HUD-assisted and insured projects. Comments closed September 8, 2026. FEMA already stopped applying the higher standard to its own funding in March 2025.
- HighNew York
New York City issues preliminary guidance on exempting housing rezonings from environmental review
A qualifying housing rezoning in New York City can now enter public land use review without an environmental assessment, while reviews of rezonings that do not qualify are now subject to statutory deadlines.
- MediumPennsylvania
Pennsylvania requires larger data centers to report energy and water use by July 2027
A budget-season amendment to the Fiscal Code makes data centers above 10 megawatts file annual energy and water reports with environmental regulators, with reported penalties of $10,000 a day.
- MediumPennsylvania
Pennsylvania adds high-quality protection to Class A wild trout streams, tightening permits for new discharges
A final rule effective July 11, 2026 redesignates Class A wild trout streams as High Quality waters. New earth disturbance and new or expanded discharges to them face antidegradation review and individual permits. The Board's preamble states EPA approval is required under the Clean Water Act. A further proposal covering eight streams is on the October 13, 2026 board agenda.
- MediumNew Jersey
New Jersey requires state approval of utility-planned transmission lines, with 120- or 180-day review
A law signed July 7, 2026 requires utilities to obtain a Board of Public Utilities certificate before building PJM 'supplemental' lines of 100 kV or more. Review runs 120 or 180 days and the Board may not consider environmental impacts. The certificate requirement starts 90 days after BPU rules or at the 19th month after enactment, whichever is earlier.
- HighNew York
Federal: Solar and wind projects not started by July 4 lose credits unless running by 2027
The federal clean-electricity credits end for solar and wind placed in service after December 31, 2027 unless construction began by July 4, 2026. That start date has passed, so for Northeast projects the record of when physical work began now governs which rule applies.
- MediumNew York
New York proposes requiring active landfills to treat leachate before disposal, with phase-in to four years
DEC's proposed amendments to its solid waste rules would require treatment of leachate at 32 active landfills before it goes to wastewater plants or other discharge, with plans due one and two years after the effective date. Comments closed September 9, 2026. The proposal is not in force.
- MediumConnecticut
Connecticut requires summary review of two-to-nine-unit buildings on commercial lots, parking alone cannot defeat small projects
Since July 1, 2026, Connecticut's housing law bars towns from rejecting residential projects of 16 units or fewer solely for lack of required parking, and requires summary review of two-to-nine-unit buildings on commercial or mixed-use lots. Local regulations and pending applications should be examined against both.
- MediumPhiladelphia County, PA
Pennsylvania: Philadelphia exempts small homes from stormwater rules and widens its maximum release-rate zones
Since July 1, 2026, one- and two-family projects disturbing under one acre are exempt from Philadelphia's post-construction stormwater rules, release-rate zones are larger, and sites of 5,000 square feet or more need approved erosion plans. Guidance Manual 3.4 took effect the same day.
- LowConnecticut
Connecticut wetlands board members must finish state training by January 2027; denial standards unchanged
New training duties for local wetlands boards do not change the evidence a denial requires, so the record built at the hearing remains the basis of review on appeal.
- HighNew York
New York's all-electric rule for new buildings survives federal appeal; start date unconfirmed
On June 30, 2026 the Second Circuit rejected a federal-preemption challenge to the State's ban on fossil-fuel equipment in new buildings. A court-approved stipulation suspends the State's rules until 120 days after the Second Circuit's mandate if no certiorari petition is timely sought; the mandate date and any petition were not confirmed.
- MediumNew York
New York opens proceeding toward 4 gigawatts of new nuclear power; conference due by October 31
The Public Service Commission opened Case 26-E-0335 on June 11, 2026. Staff and NYSERDA must hold a public technical conference before October 31, 2026 and Staff a white paper by November 11, 2026. No host site has been announced in the sources read.
- MediumNew York
New York legislature passes stricter PFAS drinking-water limits while federal rollback is proposed
Both houses passed a bill setting New York limits of 4 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS and 10 for three other PFAS, with water systems to comply by May 1, 2029. As of October 7, 2026 the Senate page shows it awaiting the Governor. Federal proposals of May 20, 2026 would drop limits for those three PFAS.
- MediumNew York
New York towns adopt battery storage moratoria, including Waterford, Walton, Halfmoon and Huntington
Waterford's 180-day moratorium expires November 29, 2026, and Walton has adopted a one-year moratorium that also reaches pending applications. Halfmoon adopted an extension of its own on March 4, 2026, and Huntington has reportedly voted a six-month pause. Walton cites a study of fire safety and siting standards.
- MediumNew York
New York now sets deadlines for full environmental reviews and exempts some housing on developed sites
A local board that orders a full environmental review must now decide and finish within statutory time limits, and qualifying housing on previously disturbed sites is exempt from review.
- MediumFairfield County, CT
Connecticut appeals court affirms ruling that Wilton sewer authority acted arbitrarily in denying 70-unit project
On May 26, 2026 the Appellate Court affirmed a judgment that Wilton's sewer authority acted arbitrarily in denying a 70-unit project, because its capacity finding rested on a hypothetical flow and the applicant had no chance to respond to its ownership objections. The matter was remanded for approval with conditions.
- MediumNew York
New York issues five-year stream work permit; no work may start before state countersignature
DEC's new Stream Activities General Permit covers bank stabilization, culvert and bridge repair and utility line repairs from May 21, 2026 to May 20, 2031. It requires DEC countersignature for every authorization and sets a 500-foot limit on vegetation-based bank stabilization inside the New York City watershed.
- MediumSteuben County, NY
New York appeals court upholds state wind permit and narrow standard for opponents seeking party status
The Appellate Division, Third Department, on May 14, 2026 affirmed a siting permit for a 147-megawatt wind project in Steuben County, holding that general objections do not earn opponents party status before the state siting office.
- MediumConnecticut
Federal: Proposed air permit rule would let some non-emitting site work start before the permit issues
EPA's May 13, 2026 proposal would redefine when construction begins under New Source Review so that foundations, utility service and similar non-emitting work could proceed before a permit. Comments closed June 29, 2026. It is not in force.
- MediumNew YorkFree to read
New York court voids state wetland rules; agency narrows which unmapped wetlands need permits
With the 2025 regulations annulled and an appeal pending, New York's environmental agency is asserting jurisdiction only over previously mapped wetlands and those of 12.4 acres or more.
- MediumNew Jersey
New Jersey amends coastal permit law so nuclear plant review turns on proposed waste storage
A law approved April 8, 2026 amends the Coastal Area Facility Review Act so that DEP may approve a nuclear generating facility only if it finds the proposed waste storage or disposal method safe and consistent with Nuclear Regulatory Commission standards. It took effect immediately.
- MediumNew York
Federal: 2026 wetlands nationwide permits take effect; New York requires individual water certification for ten permits
The Army Corps' 2026 nationwide permits took effect March 15, 2026 and apply in all four states. New York's December 18, 2025 certification grants conditional blanket certification to most but requires individual certification for ten, including NWP 12. Eligible work under the 2021 permits has until March 14, 2027.
- HighConnecticut
Connecticut ends Transfer Act filings for sales from March 1, 2026; release-based cleanup applies
Since March 1, 2026 transactions no longer require Transfer Act filings, and cleanup duties arise when a release is discovered or occurs. A legislative study of brownfield problems under the new program is due January 1, 2027. Deal documents drafted around Transfer Act forms should be examined.
- MediumConnecticut
Connecticut reissues dewatering and cleanup wastewater permit; new sites must apply 180 days before discharging
The state's general permit for dewatering and remediation wastewater took effect March 1, 2026 and runs to February 28, 2031. New sites apply 180 days before discharge and file coastal, wildlife and treatment documents. A related draft general permit was withdrawn on July 15, 2026.
- HighPennsylvania
Pennsylvania regulators adopt model tariff guidance covering collateral and five-year terms for loads over 50 megawatts
The Public Utility Commission adopted a model tariff for large electric customers on April 30, 2026. It is guidance for each utility's own filing, not a rule, but it points to collateral, a five-year minimum term, 48 months' notice of exit and public interconnection queues.
- LowNassau County, NY
New York appeals court orders Nassau zoning board to accommodate synagogue use of a house
The Second Department annulled a Town of Oyster Bay variance denial on February 18, 2026 and sent the case back with a direction to grant the application on reasonable conditions. Other Second Department variance rulings this spring left board decisions in place.
- MediumNew York
New York regulator opens large-load grid connection review; technical conference due by December 31, 2026
A February 12, 2026 order opened a Public Service Commission proceeding on how to connect data centers and other large loads, including who pays for upgrades. Comments have closed; a staff technical conference is due before December 31, 2026 and a white paper within a year.
- MediumNew Jersey
New Jersey Pinelands: waivers from before 1992 expire January 5, 2027; pre-2004 filing certificates void
Amendments to the Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan effective January 5, 2026 end old waivers of strict compliance on January 5, 2027, void certificates of filing issued before 2004, and put a five-year life on later ones. They also move the Black Run watershed in Evesham to a more protective area.
- MediumNew York
New York's revised cleanup rules for brownfields and Superfund sites took effect December 31, 2025
DEC adopted rewritten cleanup rules with no change from its proposal. They revise more than half of the soil cleanup objectives, define site cover requirements and drop the historic fill definition. DEC's materials read describe no transition rule for projects already in the program.
- MediumConnecticutFree to read
Connecticut ends town exemptions for new coastal single-family homes and requires state referral in flood zones
New single-family homes in the coastal area now need coastal site plan review, and plans in mapped flood zones go to the state for comment before the town decides.
- MediumNew Jersey
New Jersey industrial business sales trigger state cleanup duties, with notice due five days after signing
Selling or closing a covered industrial business requires state notice within five days and remediation or a funded remediation certification before transfer, and noncompliance lets the buyer void the deal.
- LowSuffolk County, NY
New York's Pine Barrens plan tightens review of large Suffolk projects and governs credit use
Applications in the Central Pine Barrens filed since July 19, 2024 face amended standards, including a lower 200-unit threshold for regional review and stricter rules on redeeming development credits.
- LowNew Jersey
Building in New Jersey's Highlands Preservation Area faces strict state limits on paving and septic systems
Major development in the Preservation Area needs a state approval under fixed limits on impervious cover, stream buffers and septic density, so applicability and exemptions should be settled before a parcel is valued.