TRANSMISSION: Maine environmental regulators grant a permit for a transmission line to import Canadian hydropower, making it the third and final state agency to approve the project. (Bangor Daily News)
PIPELINES:
• Environmentalists sue federal regulators for their approval of a western Massachusetts pipeline project contending that climate risks should have been included in permit reviews. (Energy News Network)
• A Massachusetts town hires a consultant who concludes Eversource does not need to replace a natural gas pipeline due to flat demand. (Milford Daily Times)
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EFFICIENCY: A Pennsylvania company that specializes in energy efficiency for healthcare facilities is slowed by the coronavirus pandemic but expects to bounce back when the crisis passes. (StateImpact Pennsylvania)
CLEAN ENERGY:
• Advocates say New York companies seeking rate relief from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic endanger funding for state clean energy programs. (Politico)
• A community choice aggregation program for 13 towns in New York is shelved due to a drop in energy prices. (Altamont Enterprise)
• A New Hampshire town works toward its draft plan to shift to 100% clean energy by requiring energy performance in sales and rental listings, and increasing energy efficiency opportunities. (Keene Sentinel)
POLICY: Democratic lawmakers demand a Pennsylvania steel company that supplies the oil and gas industry return a $10 million small business loan intended for companies impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
CLIMATE: Analysts say strong approval ratings for the governors of New York, Massachusetts, Maryland and other states for their handling of the coronavirus pandemic may give them the opportunity to push a climate agenda. (E&E News, subscription required)
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UTILITIES: Central Maine Power sets up a $500,000 fund for customers affected by COVID-19 as part of a settlement of an investigation of how it handled winter disconnections. (Portland Press Herald)
SOLAR: A Rhode Island judge rules a town planning board acted properly when it denied a permit for a solar development. (ecoRI)