GRID: Monday’s peak energy usage in New England shows how solar pushes demand on the grid to later in the day but also how dependent the region is on natural gas in the evening hours. (CommonWealth Magazine)
WASTE-TO-ENERGY: Baltimore and the owner of a trash-burning plant report progress in settlement talks in a pollution lawsuit that could result in extending the life of the facility beyond next year’s contract expiration. (Baltimore Sun)
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EMISSIONS: Environmentalists urge Pennsylvania to close a “loophole” in proposed regulations to regulate methane that ignores a major emissions source. (StateImpact Pennsylvania)
NUCLEAR: Federal regulators approve emergency preparedness exemptions for the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania cuiting lower risks due to the plant’s closure last year. (Exchange Monitor)
WIND:
• Massachusetts lawmakers advance a plan to create a new office to monitor the impact of offshore wind on fisheries and wildlife. (State House News Service)
• A Rhode Island researcher is mapping commercial fishing activity to reduce conflicts with offshore wind development. (ecoRI)
SOLAR:
• A western New York county development agency approves tax incentives for a 270 MW solar project that includes battery storage. (Observer)
• Maryland regulators will hold a public comment hearing for a proposed nearly 20 MW solar plant. (Daily Record, subscription required)
TRANSMISSION: The Penobscot Nation formally opposes a Maine hydropower transmission line, standing in solidarity with Indigenous people in Canada. (Maine Public Radio)
EFFICIENCY: New York City buildings will have an A-F grading system for energy efficiency, similar to the way health officials ranks restaurants. (The Cooperator)
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TRANSPORTATION:
• Advocates say fears of COVID-19 spreading on mass transit have been overblown. (E&E News, subscription required)
• New York City Transit orders 50 electric hybrid buses for delivery in 2021. (Environment + Energy Leader)
COMMENTARY:
• An environmental group says Pennsylvania would benefit from joining a regional carbon-trading pact by creating clean energy jobs, which now outnumber coal. (Times Leader)
• The Union of Concerned Scientists says time is running out for Massachusetts to take meaningful action for the climate and environmental justice as the legislative session winds down.
• A new study finds emissions reductions from the Northeast’s climate pact has prevented hundreds of cases of childhood asthma and other ailments. (Environmental Defense Fund)