CARBON CAPTURE: A Rhode Island brewery is part of a growing industry trend of using carbon capture technology to provide the necessary ingredient to put the fizz in their beer. (Energy News Network)
CLEAN ENERGY:
• While Vermont has one of the highest percentages of renewable electricity in the country, advocates want the state to develop more in-state sources rather than rely on imported hydropower. (Energy News Network)
• New York regulators approve a program to provide bill credits to residents of communities that host major wind and solar projects. (News 10)
WIND: President Biden’s nomination of Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo has fishing industry groups concerned they will have less of a say in federal offshore wind decisions. (E&E News)
OVERSIGHT: Rhode Island Lt. Gov. Daniel McKee says he had asked Gov. Raimondo to wait and let him make a nomination to the state’s Public Utilities Commision. (Providence Journal)
NATURAL GAS:
• New York regulators propose requiring natural gas utilities to submit more detailed long-term plans for meeting demand. (Politico)
• Ten years after a deadly natural gas explosion in Allentown, Pennsylvania, residents say they are “still traumatized” by the event. (Associated Press)
EFFICIENCY:
• A New Hampshire report says reduced energy consumption has saved the state $45 million over the past decade. (Associated Press)
• Rhode Island advocates say not enough rental property owners in the state are taking advantage of energy efficiency incentives. (ecoRI)
• A Maine town’s conversion to LED streetlights is delayed after city officials discover the town doesn’t actually own the lights: “The town is 200 years old and there’s a lot of funkiness to figure out.” (Press Herald)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: New Hampshire-based Merchants Fleet recently announced a plan to purchase 12,600 electric vans from General Motors. (Concord Monitor)
TRANSMISSION: Officials in a Maine town will meet this week to discuss zoning approval for the Clean Energy Connect transmission line. (Sun Journal)
SOLAR: Officials in an Adirondacks community officially unveil a new community solar farm while acknowledging that snow cover will reduce production in the winter. (Adirondack Daily Enterprise)
UTILITIES:
• New York Sen. Kirsten Gillbrand calls for more federal assistance to help low-income households pay utility bills. (WRVO)
• A Baltimore utility says grid upgrades have reduced its average outage length by 38% since 2010. (Daily Energy Insider)
NUCLEAR: The company decommissioning the Oyster Creek nuclear plant agrees to a $10 million upgrade to its waste storage plan. (Cherry Hill Courier-Post)
COMMENTARY:
• A New Hampshire lawmaker says his state has failed to help capture energy efficiency savings for residents, citing a Massachusetts program as a potential model. (Union Leader)
• A Maryland college student calls on lawmakers to address climate change. (Maryland Reporter)