CLIMATE: A Boston-area investor says fund managers now see “climate tech” as an opportunity to promote sustainability and clean energy innovations. (Boston Globe)

ALSO:
• A Rhode Island climate bill clears its first hurdle with unanimous approval by a Senate committee. (Providence Journal)
• New York and New Jersey are among a number of states weighing “green amendments” to guarantee the right to a healthy environment, an effort that could help youth climate lawsuits. (E&E News)

***SPONSORED LINK: Save the date! Registration for the Business Network for Offshore Wind’s International Partnering Forum opens March 15. Unique this year, IPF will be in-person (August) *AND* virtual (April, May, June.)*** 

OFFSHORE WIND:
• Federal officials say they are resuming an environmental review of the Vineyard Wind offshore project in Massachusetts after the developer requested suspension a few months ago. (WorkBoat)
• A fishing group complains the decision short-circuits the regulatory process and that officials should hold hearings to explain their decision. (CommonWealth Magazine)

SOLAR: A Pennsylvania solar entrepreneur successfully sues utilities and state regulators who tried to exclude his project from a net metering program. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

PIPELINES: Local officials and residents are relieved a proposed midcoast Maine natural gas pipeline is scrapped and hope this spurs more discussions about building renewable energy sources. (Bangor Daily News)

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE: The New York State Senate passes a series of bills to include environmental justice as part of the review of projects that produce pollution that could disproportionately impact disadvantaged communities. (news release) 

UTILITIES: New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy extends the moratorium on utility shut-offs through June as regulators grapple with how to deal with more than $700 million in customer debt. (NJ Spotlight)

COMMENTARY:
• The head of a Rhode Island land trust says proposed changes to the state’s energy siting law are a step backward that give more power to fossil fuel interests. (ecoRI)
• A solar developer says Central Maine Power must be held accountable for a series of mishaps, including a recent botched plan to address a logjam in proposed solar project interconnections. (Portland Press Herald)
• A Maryland legislator says her reform bill will relieve utilities from providing electricity and concentrate on upgrading the electric distribution system. (Maryland Matters)

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Bill Opalka

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.