PIPELINES: For the second time in a month and a day before its scheduled opening, an emergency shutdown and unplanned gas release occurred at a compressor station undergoing testing outside Boston. (WBUR)

ALSO: A local congressman and both Massachusetts U.S. senators call for a delay in the compressor’s planned opening, which was approved by federal officials last week. (Boston Globe) 

EFFICIENCY:
• Massachusetts advocates try to expand participation in the state’s energy efficiency programs to lower-income residents and non-English speakers as most benefits go to wealthier households. (Energy News Network)
• New York begins a partnership to provide workforce training to entry level technicians in energy efficiency technologies. (WWTI)

CLIMATE: Brown University starts an initiative to counter the institutional inertia that prevents residents from taking meaningful action on climate change. (ecoRI)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Nine electric vehicle charging stations will be installed at park-and-ride lots along the New York Thruway system. (Albany Times Union)

UTILITIES:
• Eversource says its acquisition of Columbia Gas is expected to be approved by Massachusetts officials next week. (Masslive)
• Con Edison in New York is installing 376,000 gas leak detection meters connected to its response center. (Smart Energy) 

OIL & GAS: The developer of a liquified natural gas export terminal seeks a special order to exempt it from needing federal approval. (NJ.com)

GRID: A consensus emerges at a federal conference that carbon pricing is within the purview of the regulator of wholesale electricity markets. (E&E News, subscription required)

COMMENTARY:
• The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette endorses Pennsylvania’s entry into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
• An energy justice advocate says Baltimore should stay with its plan to close a trash-burning facility next year. (Baltimore Sun)
• A think tank says the natural gas boom in southwestern Pennsylvania produces few permanent jobs. (tribLIVE)

Avatar photo

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.