INCINERATION: As Connecticut prepares to shut down its troubled waste-to-energy plant instead of implementing needed upgrades, several towns plan to ship their trash out of state, but officials worry the facility won’t be able to keep functioning until landfill contracts start. (CT Mirror)
OFFSHORE WIND:
• While an offshore wind energy-intensive future excites some Marylanders, others fear the local fishing and tourism industries will be damaged beyond repair. (RTO Insider, subscription)
• A Massachusetts state legislator on the energy committee is skeptical that removing the state’s offshore wind price cap is worth subsequent economic development promises. (Commonwealth Magazine)
FOSSIL FUELS:
• An environmental nonprofit’s new report finds western Pennsylvania has nearly 9,000 abandoned oil or gas wells, each a source of methane emissions. (WHYY)
• Rhode Island gasoline prices were higher in the past week than they have been in the past seven years, while Pennsylvania prices were about a dollar more than the year prior, according to AAA. (Providence Journal, Pennsylvania State Capital Bureau)
TRANSPORTATION: New York City fire officials warn e-bicycle riders about a string of recent fires they say were caused by overheated lithium-ion batteries. (NBC New York)
PIPELINES: National Grid says the ongoing pandemic has made it difficult to replace miles of leaky gas pipes in Rhode Island and retire old lines, as “limited customer interaction” caused delays. (ecoRI)
CLIMATE:
• As New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy positions himself for another four-year term, a New Jersey news outlet examines his climate and environment record and evaluates his plans for further action. (NJ Spotlight)
• New Hampshire will receive $300,000 in federal funds for climate resiliency projects, including future coastal flood risk assessments. (Center Square)
UTILITIES:
• Pennsylvania utility customers can now apply for up to $1,500 in Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program grants; last year, a sizable amount of eligible ratepayers didn’t apply for funds. (WHYY)
• A New England utility and a Massachusetts town secure a $158,000 state grant to help fund energy efficiency upgrades at multiple municipal buildings, including the library and highway department. (news release)
SOLAR: In Maine, a new 5.7 MW DC community solar project will help power 23 academic, commercial, municipal or industrial institutions, including Bowdoin College and L. L. Bean. (news release)
COMMENTARY:
• A Maine newspaper editorial board fears voting in favor of an upcoming ballot measure seeking to overturn the New England Clean Energy Connect project will unintentionally make it harder to decarbonize the state. (Bangor Daily News)
• A Boston newspaper columnist highlights the work of an environmental justice advocate running for a city council seat to represent an overburdened community. (Boston Globe)
• A Chesapeake Bay Foundation director says Pennsylvania needs to find smarter locations for its solar projects than farm and forestland. (Sentinel)