PIPELINES: The Colonial Pipeline resumed full operations yesterday, nearly a week after hackers forced it to shut down. (Associated Press)
ALSO:
• While impacts in the Northeast were minimal, panic-buying is leading to gasoline shortages at some Maryland stations, and Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf urged residents not to hoard gasoline. (Frederick News-Post, Patriot-News)
• “An eighth-grader could have hacked into that system.” An audit three years ago found “glaring deficiencies” in the Colonial Pipeline’s security practices. (Associated Press)
UTILITIES: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signs a bill extending the state’s moratorium on utility disconnections. (Daily Orange)
OFFSHORE WIND: Vineyard Wind developers expect opponents, notably fishing industry groups, to file legal challenges now that the project has gained federal approval. (E&E News, subscription)
OIL & GAS:
• A study finds people living in Pennsylvania counties with fracking have higher rates of hospitalizations and deaths due to heart attacks than demographically similar counties in New York. (Environmental Health News)
• Pennsylvania is among several states where lawmakers are considering barring local governments from restricting which type of energy their residents can use — a type of bill usually meant to protect natural gas. (Farm and Dairy)
JOBS: A Pennsylvania survey finds 84% of clean energy companies are having trouble hiring skilled workers, with electricians particularly in demand. (Pittsburgh Business Times)
SOLAR:
• A New York agency is funding a study of the impacts and benefits of co-locating solar arrays with grazing and beekeeping operations. (PV Magazine)
• A Maryland county announces a contract to build a 5.6 MW microgrid at a bus depot that will combine solar canopies and storage to charge electric buses. (Canary Media)
GRID:
• Planning officials in South Portland, Maine, next week will consider a site plan for a proposed 10 MW battery storage facility. (Mainebiz)
• Maryland regulators approve two battery storage projects, one of which will be paired with an electric vehicle charging station. (Power Engineering)
CLEAN ENERGY:
• A Maine lawmaker introduces a bill that would create a green bank to help homeowners and businesses finance clean energy projects. (Penobscot Bay Pilot)
• Connecticut’s Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy program has invested $200 million in nearly 340 clean energy projects since the program began in 2013. (Environmental Leader)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• A New York lawmaker is pushing a bill that would allow electric vehicle manufacturers to sell directly to consumers rather than through a dealership. (Newsday)
• A Vermont business owner turns an “obsession” with electric lawn mowers into a campaign to help people transition from gasoline-powered equipment. (Seven Days)
EFFICIENCY: A coastal Maine town considers hiring a consultant to evaluate its streetlight array before replacing them with LEDs. (Portsmouth Herald)
COMMENTARY:
• New Hampshire environmental activists say Vineyard Wind highlights their state’s “missed opportunities” when it comes to procuring offshore wind and clean energy. (Union Leader)
• A western Massachusetts editorial board hopes Vineyard Wind’s approval will bring more offshore wind projects to the state. (Berkshire Eagle)
• Encouraging electric vehicle adoption will both fight climate change and bring jobs to Connecticut, a leader of an electrical workers union writes. (CTPost)