TRANSMISSION: The Maine Secretary of State validates enough signatures to put an anti-transmission line referendum on the fall ballot sought by opponents of a Central Maine Power project. (Bangor Daily News)

ALSO: A Massachusetts siting board approves a substation in a Boston neighborhood that environmental justice advocates say is already burdened by energy infrastructure. (WBUR)

CLIMATE:
• A Maryland legislative committee approves a sweeping climate bill that would require the state to reduce emissions 60% by 2030. (Maryland Matters)
• A new report says flood damage costs New Jersey homeowners an average of $4,400, which is expected to rise as climate change increases the number of storms. (NJ Spotlight)
• Pennsylvania farmers experiment with different practices and new varieties as they cope with extreme weather events attributed to climate change. (StateImpact Pennsylvania)

HEATING: Maine offers bonus rebates to small towns to encourage adoption of heat pumps in municipal buildings. (Energy News Network)

SOLAR: Solar advocates in Pennsylvania say two bills are likely to pass in the legislature soon and will unleash about 1 GW of projects ready to break ground. (PV Magazine)

NATURAL GAS: Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf promotes a $3 billion economic recovery plan funded by a natural gas tax that faces an uphill battle from legislators. (WHYY)

TRANSPORTATION:
• Advocates promote a transit bill of rights in New Jersey to provide more electric buses and better service for low-income communities that include large numbers of service workers. (NJ Spotlight)
• A New Jersey city plans to install four electric vehicle charging stations and another at a municipal facility to charge electric trucks the municipality intends to acquire. (NorthJersey.com)
• Pennsylvania is drafting a rule to require auto dealers in the state to offer electric vehicles as some of its neighboring states do. (E&E News, subscription required)

COMMENTARY:
• The chairman of Central Maine Power says the company is committed to helping the state reach its renewable energy goals while ensuring a safe interconnection of a surge in new solar projects. (Portland Press Herald)
• An installer of air source heat pumps says homeowners cannot abandon all thermal sources of heat as they are needed as a complementary source in cold Vermont winters. (VT Digger)
• A former union official says New York needs to include natural gas in its infrastructure planning for the next 30 years as it transitions to more renewable energy. (Buffalo News)
• A university professor says global emissions reduction caused by the pandemic is similar to the scale needed annually to reverse climate change as an indicator of what policies are needed for an economic recovery. (Bangor Daily News)
• AARP Maryland says it’s time to pass a consumer protection bill that reins in unscrupulous practices by third-party energy marketers that victimize low-income and elderly residents. (Maryland Matters)

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Bill Opalka

Bill is a freelance journalist based outside Albany, New York. As a former New England correspondent for RTO Insider, he has written about energy for newspapers, magazines and other publications for more than 20 years. He has an extensive career in trade publications and newspapers, mostly focused on the utility sector, covering such issues as restructuring, renewable energy and consumer affairs. Bill covers Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire and also compiles the Northeast Energy News daily email digest.