CLIMATE: State legislators effectively killed a major Maryland climate bill after they couldn’t compromise to reconcile differences between separate versions of the legislation, although some provisions were separately passed. (Maryland Matters)
ALSO:
• Burlington, Vermont, says it met its emissions reduction goals in 2019 and 2020 but missed its 2020 electrification goal. (VTDigger)
• Maine received over $4 million during the first quarter of 2021 from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a program that the state’s utility regulator says has brought in over $127 million in total. (Associated Press)
***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!***
PENSIONS: A New York state pension fund plans to divest from its $7 million investment in seven oil sands companies as part of the state comptroller’s pledge to reduce fossil fuel-related investment risks. (Pensions & Investments)
INFRASTRUCTURE: Giving no state high marks, the White House has published infrastructure report cards detailing decades of underinvestment, particularly in transportation; Massachusetts and Pennsylvania both earned a C-, while Delaware got a D. (Boston.com, CBS Pittsburgh, Delaware News Journal)
SOLAR:
• A roughly 1.8 MW rooftop solar array under construction at the University of Albany will supply 60% of the estimated power needs of a new tech and business building. (New Haven Register)
• A New York City realty company says it has placed solar panels on roughly half of its 45 buildings in Queens; once complete, 6,500 solar panels will be installed through the $6.5 million project. (POWER)
• New York’s Rensselaer County has subscribed to 7.4 MW of community solar projects, which may save the local government $3 million on its power bill over the next 25 years. (news release)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A New Jersey state agency has granted $88,000 to Mercer County in order to install 11 county-owned electric vehicle charging stations. (Patch.com)
NATURAL GAS: New York should impose a moratorium on new natural gas-fired power plants, according to members of a state advisory panel. (Times Union)
BATTERIES: In the Bronx, Con Edison and GI Energy have installed a 1 MW battery storage system, their demonstration project’s second lithium-ion system. (pv magazine)
COMMENTARY: While officials are considering the environmental effects of a third crossing of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in Maryland, an editorial board says it is shocking that the draft environmental impact statement barely outlines overall climate change-related risks. (Baltimore Sun)