TRANSPORTATION: A proposed $220 million toll road would connect an expanding Portland, Maine, suburb to I-95, but opponents say the project distracts from and sets back public transit, land use and environmental goals. (Bangor Daily News)

ALSO: A news outlet examines the history and popularity of Amtrak’s Downeaster rail line in Maine — and why it’s hard to replicate its pandemic rebound in other states seeking more extensive transit options. (Governing)

REGULATION: Maine regulators will investigate allegations outlined in a Pennsylvania cybersecurity firm’s lawsuit against Connecticut-based utility giant Avangrid, Central Maine Power’s parent company. (Portland Press Herald)

CLIMATE: In Pennsylvania, the governor’s office wants a new carbon pricing policy implemented immediately, but Republican lawmakers insist they are entitled to legislative review. (Associated Press)

UTILITIES:
• Rhode Island regulators begin hearing arguments as to whether PPL Corp. should acquire National Grid’s local electric and gas utility, with consumer advocates warning of rate hikes if the deal is approved. (The Public’s Radio)
• A New Hampshire co-op tests ‘transactional energy’ via a pilot project in which the utility charges different electricity rates depending on demand and use certain appliances as batteries that can return power to the grid. (Concord Monitor)
• PSEG Long Island’s president and chief operating officer, Dan Eichhorn, will retire in 2022 but continue to serve until a replacement is found. (Long Island Business News)

EFFICIENCY:
• New Hampshire’s new state energy department files a request with the state utility regulator, asking the commission to reverse or better explain its unpopular energy efficiency defunding decision. (New Hampshire Bulletin)
• A weatherization program that helps residents of a Maine island save money while making improvements is a key part of a nonprofit’s push to make the island energy independent by 2030. (WABI)

GRID: Hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of federal infrastructure funds have been earmarked for a lithium-ion battery factory under development in southern New York. (Observer-Dispatch)

SOLAR:
• In New York, the Long Island Power Authority and the state’s main solar trade group come to an informal agreement on standard time-of-use rates and fees for first-time solar customers. (Newsday)
• A renewable energy developer finishes a 1.2 MW rooftop community solar array and 1 MW battery that will funnel power to an affordable housing development in New York’s Westchester County. (news release)

CLIMATE: The climate crisis is expected to encourage northward migration of ticks and mosquitos — meaning the diseases that often hitch a ride on these insects may become more common around Massachusetts’ South Shore and beyond. (Patriot Ledger)

OFFSHORE WIND: A top Massachusetts lawmaker discusses renewable energy policy and his view that offshore wind should be a top priority for the state. (Commonwealth Magazine)

PIPELINE: A Massachusetts legislator schedules a public meeting in Springfield to discuss concerns surrounding Eversource’s proposed secondary gas pipeline. (MassLive)

GAS: Gas prices have fallen in the past week in Massachusetts and northern New England. (MassLive, Associated Press)

Bridget is a freelance reporter and newsletter writer based in the Washington, D.C., area. She compiles the Northeast Energy News digest. Bridget primarily writes about energy, conservation and the environment. Originally from Philadelphia, she graduated from Emerson College in 2015 with a degree in journalism and a minor in environmental studies. When she isn’t working on a story, she’s normally on a northern Maine lake or traveling abroad to practice her Spanish language skills.