OFFSHORE WIND: Fishing groups in Maine are skeptical of the state’s commitment to work with them as plans are devised to develop an array of floating offshore wind turbines. (Energy News Network)

ALSO:
• An offshore wind farm in New Jersey will be among the first in the world to be powered by the largest wind turbines ever built. (NJ Spotlight)
• The Massachusetts climate bill passed this week calls for an additional 2.4 GW of offshore wind, bringing the total to 5.6 GW. (Windpower Monthly)

NATURAL GAS: Pennsylvania’s impact fee collected from natural gas producers is projected to be about $145 million, a record low since it was imposed in 2011. (Pittsburgh Business Times)

SOLAR:
• Researchers at Binghamton University receive a $2.6 million federal grant to improve grid reliability using solar power. (Fox 40)
• A new marketplace for community solar begins operating in nine states, including many in the Northeast. (Solar Builder)
• A public-private partnership in Vermont energizes a 2.2 MW solar array on a former cornfield to supply a municipal electric system. (Solar Builder)

RENEWABLE ENERGY: Burlington, Vermont became the first city to declare itself powered by 100% renewable energy but the reality is more complex as cities are unlikely to fully zero-out their carbon footprint. (Grist)

EMISSIONS: A New York panel discusses ways to repurpose wastewater and recover renewable gas as a way to reduce methane emissions. (RTO Insider, subscription required)

TRANSPORTATION: The transit authority in metropolitan Boston signs contracts to acquire 100% renewable energy and save $3 million annually. (Transportation Today)

COMMENTARY: An analyst says that New England households would pay substantially more for heating costs than those elsewhere in the country if homes are fully electrified. (Energy Institute at Haas)

 

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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.