CLIMATE: The lead negotiator for Massachusetts Democrats says the Senate is poised to again pass a sweeping climate bill with only “minor” changes while rejecting the most serious objections Gov. Charlie Baker had in his recent veto. (Boston Globe)

ALSO:
• The Maryland Senate advances a climate bill to reduce emissions 60% from 2006 levels over the next decade, while another bill in the House would allow the state to sue fossil fuel companies for climate misinformation. (Maryland Matters)
• A Massachusetts city releases an “integrated policy framework” to help it reach its goals of reduced emissions and 100% renewable energy by mid-century. (Masslive)

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HYDROGEN: A New York developer of fuel cells partners with the owner of a Pennsylvania hydropower dam to produce green hydrogen. (Globe and Mail)

PIPELINES:
• A town official in Massachusetts wants greater involvement by local residents in a federal review of health and safety issues related to a recently opened compressor station. (Patriot Ledger)
• A federal judge rejects a shareholder suit against NiSource for the deadly Massachusetts explosion in 2018 that led to a guilty plea by its Columbia Gas subsidiary. (Bloomberg Law)

SOLAR:
• A suite of five solar arrays combined to produce 45 MW proposed in central Massachusetts could be the largest project in the state. (Daily Hampshire Gazette)
• Residents of a Maine town reject a moratorium on proposed solar development that would have stopped a 55-acre facility. (CentralMaine.com)
• A Maryland county approves the development of community solar projects, but details on what kind of land could be used remain unresolved. (Baltimore Sun)
• Conservation groups on Long Island release a report that says enough solar to power the island can be developed on low-impact sites like landfills and commercial rooftops instead of large projects. (Solar Power World)
• White Plains, New York breaks ground on a portfolio of nine projects for a combined 6.8 MW community solar development. (Renewable Energy World)

COMMENTARY:
• An environmentalist says lessons Pennsylvania can learn from the Texas blackouts are that more renewable energy should be developed and generating sources should be distributed widely instead of in central locations. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• A regional planner says New Jersey needs to ensure its $9 billion annual transportation spending is deployed in a way that prioritizes cutting emissions. (NJ.com)

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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.