TRANSPORTATION: Amid bipartisan resistance to a possible gasoline tax increase, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont abandons an effort to join the Transportation Climate Initiative, leaving the climate compact’s future in doubt. (Boston Herald) 

HYDROGEN: The Tonawanda Seneca Nation challenges an environmental analysis that finds a new hydrogen fuel facility wouldn’t harm their religious and culturally significant property. (Investigative Post)

HYDROELECTRIC:
• Several environmental groups sue the owner of four Kennebec River hydroelectric dams over alleged violations of the Endangered Species Act that have killed Atlantic salmon. (Portland Press-Herald)
• A hydroelectric dam in northern Maine will help power a new cloud computing data center. (Bangor Daily News)

WIND:
• A top state environmental advocate believes that New Jersey’s utility commission will authorize 2.4 GW of new offshore wind energy projects later this month. (NBC 10 Philadelphia)
• A wind turbine manufacturer plans to exit Pennsylvania and shift operations to Mexico, taking 67 jobs with it. (The Morning Call)

SOLAR:
• Officials in a Pennsylvania county reject a necessary permit for a 75 MW solar facility pitched by NextEra Energy, which is likely to appeal the decision. (StateImpact Pennsylvania)
• A tiny Maine town now hosts the state’s biggest operating solar array, a 27 MW project comprising 67,000 panels. (News Center Maine)
• A developer tells the town of Lockport, New York, that a proposed local six-month solar moratorium would push back construction of one of its projects and hurt its economic prospects. (Lockport Union-Sun & Journal)

DIVESTMENT: Maine’s House of Representatives passes legislation to require the state to entirely divest from fossil fuels by the beginning of 2026. (Pensions & Investments, subscription)

JOBS: Students in a southeastern Pennsylvania county look to their local technical schools to train for jobs in energy efficient and green career paths. (Reading Eagle)

UTILITIES:
• A Maine legislative committee recommends the approval of a utility commission nominee with years of experience supporting wind, solar and water companies before the commission. (Portland Press-Herald)
• Dozens of environmental advocacy groups want New York’s state senate to reject the nomination of a utility commission candidate they say is a political insider with no relevant experience. (Syracuse.com)
• As another historic hurricane season looms, Eversource says it’s bolstering its emergency preparedness to handle the storms – and avoid further utility commission fines. (Journal Inquirer)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• The Vermont legislature passes a bill allowing electric vehicle makers to open service stations where they could also sell vehicles, potentially upending the longstanding sales franchise-dealership sales model if the governor signs it into law. (WCAX 3)
• Maine’s electric vehicle charging network is poised to push further east, toward the state’s popular Acadia National Park. (news release)

COMMENTARY: An energy policy and transportation electrification executive argues that while New Jersey has enacted several positive policies to drive an electric vehicle revolution, much is left to be done. (NJ Spotlight)

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.