OFFSHORE WIND: The Long Island Power Authority says transmission upgrades needed to accommodate large offshore wind projects could cost up to $1.5 billion. (Newsday)

ALSO:
• Port of Albany operators expect to present plans for an offshore wind turbine manufacturing facility to town planners by June. (Albany Times Union)
• The developer of an offshore wind project in New Jersey will begin training of members of six labor unions in anticipation of construction starting in 2024. (NBC Philadelphia)
• A New Hampshire forum discusses how the state can participate with neighboring states in a regional approach to offshore wind development. (Foster’s Daily Democrat)

CLIMATE: Annapolis, Maryland files a lawsuit against large oil companies in state court alleging they concealed knowledge and risks associated with climate change. (Inside Climate News) 

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A Maryland county signs a contract to lease 326 electric school buses, making it the largest municipal operator of electric vehicles in the country. (Bloomberg Green)

UTILITIES: Eversource says delinquent electric customer accounts top $435 million and ask Connecticut regulators to increase rates to cover the shortfall. (CT Examiner)

SOLAR: A town planning board in New York is skeptical of a plan to build two solar arrays on a former golf course. (Post-Star)

PIPELINES:
• Utilities and power plants in western Pennsylvania employ an elaborate series of barriers, insulation and heating systems to protect infrastructure from sustained cold spells and freezing that crippled the Texas energy industry. (TribLIVE)
• A Penn State study says that songbirds nesting near the constant din of a natural gas compressor station have fewer offspring than those further away. (Pennlive.com, subscription required) 

TRANSMISSION: A town planning board in Maine delays consideration of a section of power line from Canada until a public hearing can be held next month. (Sun Journal)

ACTIVISM: Two activists will be honored for their work in convincing New York officials to change a steam plant project in Albany from natural gas power to renewable energy. (Albany Times Union)

COMMENTARY:
• A writer says Maine’s recent solar controversy highlights the need for regulatory and utility reform to advance clean energy in the state. (Maine Monitor)
• A new report says waste-to energy plants in New Jersey harm environmental justice communities where they are located and should have their clean energy subsidies eliminated. (EarthJustice)

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.