Northeast Energy News

Green groups sue FERC for approving a Pennsylvania gas pipeline

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PIPELINES: Environmental groups sue FERC for approving a natural gas pipeline in Pennsylvania, saying regulators “violated the law on multiple fronts” and failed to consider the project’s climate change impacts. (StateImpact Pennsylvania)

ALSO:
• A proposal to build a 27-mile natural gas pipeline in New Hampshire draws criticism from environmental advocates who say the developer already has inspection-related violations in the state. (Portsmouth Herald)
• A federal appeals court says FERC was right to allow the expansion of a natural gas pipeline near a nuclear plant in Upstate New York, dealing a blow to environmentalists. (Rockland/Westchester Journal News)

***SPONSORED LINK: Registration is open for Law Seminars International’s annual conference on Buying and Selling Electric Power in the Northeast, Sept. 27 -28 in Boston.

Northeast Energy News

Eversource appeals transmission line rejection in New Hampshire

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TRANSMISSION: Eversource appeals a decision by a New Hampshire committee to reject its high-voltage power line from Canada to Massachusetts, which would have crossed through the state. (InDepthNH)

HYDRO: Vermont environmental groups explain why large-scale hydropower and biomass electricity should not be considered carbon neutral. (VT Digger)

***SPONSORED LINK: Join 500+ attendees for REVitalize: Transforming Energy Further, Fast, Together with keynote speakers Katherine Hamilton, chair of 38 North Solutions, and Gordan Van Welie, president and CEO of ISO New England, October 18-19 in Burlington, Vermont.***

SOLAR:
• A group appealing the approval of a 20 MW solar farm in western Connecticut says the state siting council “abused its discretion” in approving the project, which will require 67 acres of woodland to be clearcut. (Hartford Courant)
• State officials vote to rezone 700 acres in eastern Maine to accommodate a 100 MW solar project. (Bangor Daily News)

TRANSPORTATION: New York agencies will host listening sessions on strategies for making the state’s transportation sector greener.

Northeast Energy News

Developer seeks approval for gas-fired plant near NYC

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POWER PLANTS: A developer seeks approval to build a second natural gas power plant in northeast New Jersey, joining three other gas-fired plants currently seeking approvals from local and state authorities. (NJ Spotlight)

EFFICIENCY:
• A discount retail chain will spend $14 million to install LED lights and advanced lighting controls at 131 stores in the Northeast. (Chain Store Age)
• With help from a state clean energy grant, a town outside Boston will install LED lights in five schools and weatherize its fire department. (Wicked Local)

***SPONSORED LINK: Join 500+ attendees for REVitalize: Transforming Energy Further, Fast, Together with keynote speakers Katherine Hamilton, chair of 38 North Solutions, and Gordan Van Welie, president and CEO of ISO New England, October 18-19 in Vermont.***

SOLAR:
• How a family-owned Pennsylvania solar company successfully weathered a “solar-coaster” over the last 10 years. (Central Penn Business Journal)
• Lightsource BP acquires six solar power projects totalling 135 MW in Pennsylvania and Maryland.

Northeast Energy News

Trump officials influenced “bomb cyclone” report to champion coal

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POLITICS: Trump administration officials pressured authors of a report on last January’s “bomb cyclone” cold snap to stress the value of coal-fired power plants, according to emails obtained by the Sierra Club. (Bloomberg)

ALSO:
• A New Hampshire mayor leads an effort to convince the state legislature to override a veto of two energy bills — one to expand net metering and another to support the biomass industry. (Seacoast Online)
• New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu releases a campaign ad touting his veto of the biomass bill. (WMUR)

***SPONSORED LINK: Join 500+ attendees for REVitalize: Transforming Energy Further, Fast, Together with keynote speakers Katherine Hamilton, chair of 38 North Solutions, and Gordan Van Welie, president and CEO of ISO New England, October 18-19 in Vermont.***

REGULATION: Stakeholders ask FERC to reconsider a June order demanding that grid operator PJM remake its capacity market, calling it an unprecedented interference into state energy policies. (Greentech Media)

SOLAR:
• Sources say assembly-line problems and other difficulties have delayed production of solar roof tiles at Tesla’s factory in Buffalo, New York.

Northeast Energy News

Offshore wind developers try again in New Jersey, Massachusetts

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WIND: Developers make a third request for New Jersey regulators to approve a 25 MW wind pilot project off the coast of Atlantic City. (NJ Spotlight, Press of Atlantic City)

MORE: Developers are reconfiguring a proposal for an offshore wind farm in Massachusetts and plan to submit it to the federal government in early 2019. (Cape Cod Times)

***SPONSORED LINK: Join 500+ attendees for REVitalize: Transforming Energy Further, Fast, Together with keynote speakers Katherine Hamilton, chair of 38 North Solutions, and Gordan Van Welie, president and CEO of ISO New England, October 18-19 in Vermont.***

EMISSIONS: Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo calls for mandatory emissions restrictions as part of a plan to remake the state’s energy system. (Providence Journal)

SOLAR:
• Vermont utility Green Mountain Power says net-metered solar capacity in its service area grew from under 10 MW in 2012 to over 150 MW today. (PV Magazine)
• Developers complete a 3.1 MW, state-funded solar array on Staten Island.