ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Connecticut hopes to revive its electric vehicle rebate program that financed only a few hundred cars and spent only 30% of its budget last year. (CT Insider)

ALSO: General Motors will partner with a Massachusetts startup company to advance the automaker’s battery development in pursuit of higher electric vehicle driving range in a smaller package. (Reuters) 

***SPONSORED LINK: 2021 IPF Registration is now open! This year, IPF will be both in-person and virtual. IPF Together will be held August 24-26 in Richmond, VA (space is limited due to COVID guidelines). IPF Virtual will be taking place April 22, May 13, and June 17. Learn more and register today!*** 

CLIMATE:
• The Maryland Senate passes a climate bill with bipartisan support that seeks to reduce emissions by 60%. (Maryland Matters)
• A central Pennsylvania county seeks public involvement on how to address climate change. (StateImpact Pennsylvania)
• A new study finds a carbon tax would be the lowest-cost policy mechanism to achieve an 80% emissions reduction from the power sector by 2040. (Energy News Network)

SOLAR:
• Recent approval of the largest solar project in Connecticut revives old tensions between advocates and neighborhoods. (CT Insider)
• Developers of a New York 7.5 MW solar project rejected by a city council may triple its size to qualify for consideration by state siting officials instead. (Daily Gazette)

UTILITIES:
• Utility deregulation in Maryland has led to an atmosphere of exploitation with third-party suppliers targeting low-income customers and leaving them with higher bills. (Inside Climate News)
• Advocates walk out of settlement talks with a New York utility when they accuse it of trying to divert clean energy funds from a previous agreement. (CityLimits)

OFFSHORE WIND: Massachusetts will soon conduct its third solicitation for offshore wind contracts and will include a greater emphasis on environmental justice and equity. (WBUR)

HYDROPOWER: Maine officials will hold a virtual public hearing today to consider a plan to remove two hydropower dams from the Kennebec River to revive Atlantic Salmon breeding populations. (CentralMaine.com)

OIL & GAS: Democrats seek to block an effort by Pennsylvania Republicans to overturn the Delaware River Basin Commission’s fracking ban. (Bucks County Courier Times)

COMMENTARY:
• A former state energy planner in Maine proposes a state generation authority to help finance the hundreds of small distributed resources needed to replace aging and polluting power sources. (CentralMaine.com)
• A solar developer says a series of bills before Maryland legislators aim to keep momentum going for the energy resource in the state. (Maryland Matters)
• A columnist questions why Maryland officials seem to be scaling back a vehicle emissions testing system when the public just experienced the benefits of reduced pollution caused by less traffic during the pandemic. (Maryland Matters)

Avatar photo

Bill Opalka

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.