ENERGY STORAGE: An assessment of the fire risk of energy storage batteries in New York City has already limited their deployment there, according to analysts. (Bloomberg)
ALSO: About 250 homeowners so far have taken advantage of a Vermont utility’s offer for free installation of a Tesla PowerWall battery. (Brattleboro Reformer)
***SPONSORED LINK: Northeast Renewables Summit 2018 will bring together Northeast policymakers and regulators, utilities, the renewables community, off-takers and policy advocates to share the latest information and insights on developing the Northeast renewables markets.***
NUCLEAR: A federal review of the Pilgrim nuclear plant’s shutdowns finds no significant safety violations. (Cape Cod Times)
WIND:
• Wednesday is the deadline for Massachusetts to announce which of three major offshore wind proposals will move forward. (Associated Press)
• A Rhode Island town’s Chamber of Commerce will host a wind energy “field trip” for students interested in the industry. (North Kingstown Standard-Times)
GRID:
• Industry and environmental advocates draw differing conclusions on what lessons should be learned from reliability issues in New England last winter. (Portland Press Herald)
• Federal regulators have made little progress in an effort to simplify grid connections between regional transmission operators. (Midwest Energy News)
SOLAR:
• A Connecticut farm recently unveiled a new solar array that one state official called a “showcase in the community.” (Lancaster Farming)
• Leaders in a Pennsylvania town hope solar energy and efficiency efforts can boost the local economy. (StateImpact Pennsylvania)
COAL: A Pennsyvlania power plant would stop burning coal by 2028 under an agreement with the Sierra Club. (PennLive)
OIL AND GAS: Led by a Unitarian church, shareholders of a drilling company that operates in Pennsylvania call for a review of efforts to cut methane emissions. (StateImpact Pennsylvania)
PIPELINES: Opponents of a New Jersey natural gas pipeline seek to extend the permit process for the project. (MyCentralJersey.com)
EFFICIENCY:
• A Massachusetts ice arena becomes one of the first in the country to achieve LEED Platinum certification. (Construction Specifier)
• A New Jersey town wins a grant to support energy efficiency efforts. (Press of Atlantic City)
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UTILITIES: Pennsylvania regulators order utilities to return $320 million in tax savings to ratepayers. (Philadelphia Business Journal)
COMMENTARY:
• Conservation advocates say clearing forests for solar farms makes it harder to reach climate goals. (ecoRI)
• An advocate says solar panels are a better use of farmland than planting corn. (Delmarva Daily Times)
• A union leader says offshore wind “will position Massachusetts as the hub of a new American energy industry.” (South Coast Today)
• Advocates say community solar is long overdue in Pennsylvania. (PennLive)
• A fishing industry group urges caution on offshore wind development. (Commonwealth Magazine)
• Vox writer David Roberts says grid managers need to be better prepared for wind and solar growth.