EFFICIENCY: Two pilot projects in Massachusetts aim to develop micro-districts heated by geothermal systems to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. (Energy News Network)
PIPELINES:
• A Maryland public works board grants a wetlands permit for a natural gas pipeline into the state’s Eastern Shore that has drawn fierce opposition from environmental advocates. (Baltimore Sun)
• Federal regulators deny an extension of a construction deadline by a developer of a natural gas pipeline in western New York although the company could make the request again when it is more timely. (Buffalo News)
POLLUTION: A review of data finds that government air quality monitors routinely miss major pollution releases, including an explosion at a Philadelphia refinery last year that was visible from space. (Reuters)
UTILITIES:
• Connecticut regulators revamp rate-setting for electricity delivery due to forecasts in consumer demand that were upended by the pandemic. (Hartford Courant)
• Contingency plans are in effect in New York as the state’s utilities prepare for winter along with possible disruptions caused by an ongoing spike in COVID-19 infection rates. (Buffalo News)
SOLAR: A solar and storage installation at a Washington, D.C. apartment building is an example of how the city is making progress in expanding solar power to low-income residents. (Bay Journal)
NUCLEAR:
• Federal regulators approve the sale of the crippled Three Mile Island reactor to a company that will decommission the site over the objections of state officials. (Pennlive)
• New Jersey regulators approve the sale of a state utility’s 25% share of the reactor and absolve it of any future liabilities during its decommissioning. (NJ Spotlight)
TRANSMISSION: Central Maine Power delays land clearing for a power line from Canada slated for this week until at least Dec. 18 while a federal judge considers an injunction filed by project opponents. (Portland Press Herald)
CLIMATE:
• Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf directs a state planning board to develop recommendations on land use, stormwater management and other issues related to coastal flooding caused by climate change. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• Federal grants are received by Maine communities and a New Jersey breakwater project to develop coastal defenses for rising seas. (Portland Press Herald, NJ Spotlight)
EMISSIONS: New York lowers its emissions cap to 65% of 2009 levels as part of its commitment to a regional cap-and-trade agreement. (North American Windpower)
TECHNOLOGY: A lithium-ion battery recycling facility that can process 5,000 tons of material annually is now operating in Rochester, New York. (AltEnergyMagazine)