EFFICIENCY: Vermont’s state house advances its first Clean Heat Standard and credit marketplace to the state senate. (Vermont Public Radio)

ALSO: In Maine, low-to-moderate-income Bangor residents can now take advantage of a city-run grant program to purchase heat pumps and certain weatherization equipment. (News Center Maine)

UTILITIES:
• New York utility regulators authorize an independent auditor to look into several facets of Central Hudson Gas & Electric’s operations, including its billing system and its response to a February ice storm. (Daily Freeman)
• The Holyoke Gas & Electric board confirms a new commissioner, but an in-depth hearing led to a shouting match between two councilors, with one arguing Marrero’s treatment during his appointment was prejudiced. (Daily Hampshire Gazette)

GRID: Two renewable energy trade groups file a complaint with federal regulators arguing ISO New England market rules favor some gas-fired facilities. (Utility Dive)

TRANSIT:
• In Philadelphia, SEPTA public transit weekly pass purchases are up 11%, while ridership has risen by almost 7% on the city’s PATCO connection to New Jersey amid rising gasoline prices. (CBS Philadelphia)
• Maine’s Greater Portland Transit District is using almost $2 million in federal funds to purchase four new express buses with improved emissions control. (Mainebiz)
• A New York grant program has selected a bid to develop an electric micro-transit phone app for two Hudson Valley cities for phase-one funding. (Daily Freeman)

FOSSIL FUELS:
• New York’s proposed budget includes a state gas tax holiday from May through December that would potentially save residents $600 million. (Daily Freeman)
• The Northeast is home to all of the top-five states for the use of home heating oil — the year-over-year price for which has risen 65% this March compared to last. (WETM)
• The Connecticut Natural Gas Company will start replacing about a quarter mile of a West Hartford gas main this weekend. (New Haven Register)

WASTE-TO-ENERGY: Maryland lawmakers reconsider whether to disallow trash incineration facilities from taking advantage of state clean energy subsidies. (Maryland Matters)

OFFSHORE WIND: New Jersey utility and environmental protection officials will study how offshore wind farms impact various marine creatures, as well as enter into a regional wildlife research effort. (Associated Press)

AFFORDABILITY: Ten northern Maine businesses file complaints with the state utility regulator as electricity supply rate increases lead some to see their utility bills more than double. (Bangor Daily News)

CLIMATE:
• A forest conservation effort in western Maine finalizes protection for a large swathe of western Maine woods —a status that will aid carbon sequestration and biodiversity goals. (Bethel Citizen)
• A Vermont solar developer hosts a climate-themed virtual film festival to spur activism and action. (Seven Days)

FINANCE: A Maine news outlet explains how carbon credits and their marketplaces function. (News Center Maine)

SOLAR: Construction begins on a community solar project on a former central New York landfill. (Auburn Citizen)

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.