UTILITIES: An investigation of a Massachusetts audit of utility National Grid found several apparent conflicts of interest between the lead auditor and the company. (WBUR)

ALSO:
• A Philadelphia-area utility and state regulators say a state court ruling adverse to a smart meter rollout plan put billions of dollars of investment at risk. (Utility Dive)
• A Rhode Island community that faces a natural gas shortage will discuss alternatives to a utility plan to supply it using temporary liquified natural gas storage. (Daily News)
• Eversource begins a pilot program in New Hampshire to trim trees along power lines using helicopters in remote areas with difficult-to-reach terrain. (Union Leader)

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GRID: Analysts say power generators that initiated the cases that led to a federal ruling on renewable energy prices that sparked a revolt among some member states of PJM are now moving toward an embrace of carbon pricing. (Utility Dive)

CLEAN ENERGY: Environmentalists who praised a New Jersey Transit plan to use renewable energy to power a backup energy system now question the authority’s commitment to the plan. (NJ.com)

CLIMATE: It is unclear whether the incoming Biden administration will revive plans for a 6-mile seawall to protect New York and New Jersey harbors from storm surge. (E&E News, subscription required)

NATURAL GAS: The eventual head of the Philadelphia gas utility faces challenges of providing service while the city moves away from fossil fuel use. (Philadelphia Inquirer)

OFFSHORE WIND:
• Two Congress members urge New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to fund an offshore wind turbine assembly plant on 72 acres of empty industrial land in Brooklyn. (Brooklyn Paper)
• The Connecticut Port Authority launches a website to provide real-time monitoring of activities at a state pier that is under redevelopment as an offshore wind staging area. (The Day)

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SOLAR: A town board in New Hampshire tonight will discuss a proposed 75 MW solar project, by far the largest in the state. (Concord Monitor)

COMMENTARY: A Vermont advocacy group says large pro-environment and climate action majorities were elected to the legislature. (Rutland Herald)

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.