UTILITIES: Connecticut municipal officials say communication from Eversource was non-existent during the early days of outages from Tropical Storm Isaias as the state kicks off a week of performance review hearings. (CT Mirror)

EFFICIENCY: A Pennsylvania official says a “major piece” of the up to $320 million annually in proceeds from its participation in a regional emissions cap-and-trade agreement will be spent on energy efficiency. (RTO Insider, subscription)

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PIPELINES: Pipeline safety proponents are ramping up efforts for inclusion as negotiations in Massachusetts wind down for a final version of a major climate bill. (WGBH)

NATURAL GAS:
• Whistleblowers say radioactive waste produced during fracking is rarely discussed and consequences of it are largely unknown. (Public Herald)
• A Rhode Island commission created to strategize energy infrastructure in response to a natural gas shortage two years ago has no representatives from environmental or renewable energy groups. (UpriseRI) 

CLEAN ENERGY: Advocates and state officials discuss the prospects of creating a “green bank” in Maine to fund clean energy development. (Portland Press Herald)

SOLAR:
• Environmentalists say a solar array planned for a Maine college could endanger a rare grassland. (Portland Press Herald)
• A solar-powered weather station will monitor conditions as part of New Hampshire’s wildfire prevention efforts. (E&E News, subscription required)

GRID: The CEO of New York’s grid operator says a priority for 2021 is to work with federal regulators to ensure fair treatment of renewable resources that are an increasingly important part of the state’s energy mix. (S&P Global)

WASTE-TO-ENERGY: An environment commissioner says Connecticut faces a “waste crisis” with closure in 2022 of a waste-to-energy plant that serves much of the state. (WNPR)

TRANSPORTATION: A Delaware after-school program taps into nearly $180,000 in state Volkwagen settlement funds to replace a diesel bus with an electric one plus charging equipment. (news release)

COMMENTARY: An environmental student and offshore wind supporter says fishermen should be given a voice in the nascent floating wind turbine discussions in Maine. (Portland Press Herald)

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.