OFFSHORE WIND: New Jersey and PJM reach an agreement to allow that state’s regulators to open a competitive bidding process next year for a transmission backbone that could serve multiple offshore wind farms. (NJ Spotlight)

ALSO:
• The developers of the Revolution Wind project off Rhode Island expect federal officials to open a public comment period on its construction plan next year. (Providence Journal)
• The Danish company developing several offshore wind farms along the East Coast announces an agreement with a building trade union to train a workforce for the industry. (Reuters)

CLIMATE: Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, who now heads the national Climate Mayors, says climate action is still needed despite budget constraints caused by the pandemic. (WBUR)

TRANSPORTATION: A new study on a regional cap-and-trade emission pact for Northeast transportation says the impact on gasoline prices could be much higher than previously forecast. (CommonWealth Magazine)

EFFICIENCY:
• The utility serving Philadelphia cites declining interest as it pulls the plug on a 10-year-old program that paid customers to allow it to cut off air conditioning during times of peak demand. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• Installation of 17,500 LED streetlights with smart grid capability is completed in Syracuse, New York. (news release)

SOLAR:
• A food bank in New Jersey unveils a solar array whose components were donated by various installers and with savings from its electricity use devoted to food purchases. (Solar Power World)
• Officials in a Maryland county will hold a public hearing to discuss a new solar law that will create standards for large-scale arrays. (Herald-Mail)

NATURAL GAS: A federal research lab outside Pittsburgh prioritizes natural gas development and use throughout Appalachia. (Pennsylvania Business Report)

PIPELINES:
• Environmental activists continue the fight against a natural gas pipeline to the Eastern Shore of Maryland as it moves through the approval process of various state borders. (Baltimore Sun)
• Anti-Mariner East pipeline advocates host an online form where residents voice complaints about property damage that occurred during and after construction of the line in western Pennsylvania. (Indiana Gazette)

EMISSIONS: A Penn State seminar will consider the impact of Pennsylvania membership in a multi-state agreement to reduce emissions, while a state legislative committee votes to oppose joining it. (Penn State News, Wellsboro Gazette)

UTILITIES: For the third year in a row, Central Maine Power comes in last out of 88 utilities on a J.D. Power customer satisfaction survey, but is showing improvement. (Associated Press)

COMMENTARY:
• A former Energy Department manager says computer simulations of offshore wind turbines in Maryland waters indicate they will be more visible than previously thought. (The SandPaper)
• An editorial board says New York’s new siting process for renewable energy projects diminishes formal local input on projects, which requires more vigilance from residents. (NNY360.com)

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.