OIL & GAS: A gas explosion kills one and levels three houses in Baltimore but officials say investigations could take years to determine if aging infrastructure was responsible. (Baltimore Sun)

ALSO: Pennsylvania Senate leaders urge federal funding in the next stimulus bill for plugging orphaned and abandoned oil and gas wells. (Pennsylvania Business Report)

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UTILITIES:
• Bipartisan critics take aim at New Jersey utilities for the slow response to restore power lost during Tropical Storm Isaias. (NJTV)
• Nearly 90,000 customers, mostly in New York and Connecticut, are still without power a week after the storm. (New York Times)
• In response to the outages, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont says the state should adopt a “performance-based” regulation model for utilities that penalizes poor service. (WTNH)

STORAGE:
• A startup that will build a 150-hour duration battery plant says its technology can replace dirty and expensive peaker plants that are often an environmental hazard in disadvantaged and environmental justice communities. (Greentech Media)
• A Vermont transmission company selects two state-based providers to build a solar and 1.2 MWh storage system at its headquarters. (Vermont Biz)

WIND: A wind farm in New York resumes construction after a two-week delay caused by a positive COVID-19 test of an out-of-state contractor. (Observer)

RENEWABLE ENERGY: A new report says that if New York stays on target it will get 70% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030. (News10)

TRANSMISSION:
• A New York town approves an underground cable that will run alongside a railroad line as part of a project to carry hydropower from Canada to New York City. (Altamont Enterprise)
• The fight over a proposed Maine power line to import Canadian hydropower could thwart Northeast states’ attempts to cut power plant emissions. (E&E News, subscription required)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A nonprofit drops plans to install four electric vehicle charging stations in a New Hampshire city, citing regulatory delays. (Valley News) 

COMMENTARY:
• The Climate Reality Project says New Jersey can be a national model for clean energy and efficiency by adopting a zero-carbon energy strategy and the necessary investment to enable it. (NJ.com)
• The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance says Attorney General Maura Healey’s climate lawsuit against oil companies is more about generating headlines than promoting effective energy policies. (Boston Herald)