WIND:
• Connecticut will purchase 200 MW of offshore wind power from Deepwater Wind, which has turbines off Block Island and Massachusetts, along with 52 MW of fuel cell energy. (CT Mirror)
• A decision by Maine regulators to reconsider a previously negotiated contract for a proposed offshore wind farm could set the project back by a year, says the head of UMaine’s wind energy research facility. (WABI)
HYDROPOWER: Three companies will test tidal turbine prototypes at the world’s first permanent tidal test site on a canal in Massachusetts. (Engineering News-Record)
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SOLAR: Community solar is spreading throughout New York City, with developer Daroga Power planning to install 3 million square feet of solar panels over the next three years. (Habitat)
UTILITIES:
• Residents ask Pennsylvania utility PECO to prioritize renewable energy and power grid improvements at a Public Utility Commission hearing in Newtown Township. (The Intelligencer)
• New Hampshire’s ratepayer advocates says it would be “unfair, unreasonable and likely unconstitutional” to revive two regulatory proceedings at the request of Eversource Energy. (NHPR)
GRID: New England’s grid operator will replace its winter reliability program with a system of incentives and fees to address rising generator outage rates. (Utility Dive)
EFFICIENCY: Gov. Tom Wolf signs a bill that approves PACE financing in Pennsylvania, which will help businesses finance upgrades for energy efficiency and renewable energy systems. (Newtown Patch, Northeast Energy News archive)
AUTOMOTIVE: Volkswagen will pay a $6.5 million settlement to Vermont customers and the state for its emissions cheating scandal, in addition to a previous $4.2 million for violations of state environmental rules. (Associated Press)
PIPELINES:
• A Pennsylvania environmental group sues Sunoco for violating clean water laws during the construction of the Mariner East pipelines. (StateImpact Pennsylvania)
• Four out of five Pennsylvania utility commissioners deciding the fate of the Mariner East 2 pipeline have substantial ties to the fracking industry, according to a new report. (news release)
• Supervisors for West Cornwall Township urge Pennsylvania utility commissioners to support a judge’s order to shut down the Mariner East pipeline in Chester County. (Lebanon Daily News)
OFFSHORE DRILLING: House Republicans draft legislation to fine states that fight the Trump administration’s offshore drilling plans, which could affect Northeastern states seeking to protect their coastlines. (Washington Post)
FRACKING: Norwalk, Connecticut, receives a “Climate Champion Award” for passing an ordinance to keep fracking waste out of the city. (The Hour)
CLIMATE: A judge was skeptical of New York City’s position in a climate change lawsuit against five of the world’s biggest oil companies during a hearing over whether to dismiss the case. (Forbes, Reuters)
COMMENTARY:
• The planned cleanup of Vermont’s Yankee nuclear power facility lacks sensible safeguards and lets Entergy walk away from the toxic mess it created, says a senior attorney with the Conservation Law Foundation. (Rutland Herald)
• New York’s pension funds would see better returns without fossil fuel stocks, which aren’t as lucrative as they once were, says an attorney and advocate for fossil fuel divestment. (City & State New York)