OFFSHORE WIND: New York awards two contracts to build 1,700 MW of offshore wind off Long island, the largest such contracts in the U.S. to date. (New York Times)
ALSO:
• Vineyard Wind says its 800 MW offshore wind project in Massachusetts is at risk if federal regulators delay issuing an environmental impact statement more than six weeks. (CommonWealth Magazine)
• The head of a Connecticut agency responsible for developing a state port as a possible hub for the offshore wind industry has been put on administrative leave for an undisclosed reason. (WNPR)
EMISSIONS: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the most ambitious greenhouse gas reduction law in the country on Thursday. (Politico)
OIL & GAS:
• The refinery explosion in Philadelphia last month is the latest in a string of incidents around the country that put the public at risk from exposure to the deadly chemical hydrogen fluoride. (NPR)
• Philadelphia activists want to follow the lead of Berkeley, California and ban new natural gas hookups. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
SOLAR: NextEra will hold a public meeting to discuss its 30 MW solar project in New Hampshire, the largest one in the state. (NHPR)
REGULATION: Rhode Island Republicans have challenged the nomination of the new head of the state Public Utilities Commission because she is not a resident of the state. (NewportRI)
UTILITIES: Maine regulators heard a second day of complaints about Central Maine Power’s problematic billing system in a hearing ostensibly called to consider a rate increase. (Franklin Journal)
COMMENTARY:
• A “Climate Caucus” in the Pennsylvania legislature is still willing to lock in fracking for 20 years even in the face of accelerating climate change, a columnist writes. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• An editorial board says New York is showing national leadership in the fight against climate change with a sweeping emissions law and the award of two offshore wind contracts. (Newsday)
• The size and diversity of New York’s economy makes its commitment to reducing climate pollution especially significant, and environmental organization says. (Environmental Defense Fund)
• A local chamber of commerce says a natural gas power plant in eastern Connecticut will lower energy costs and benefit the environment. (Hartford Courant)
• A clean energy activist says the track record for pipeline safety and lax federal regulation should push New Jersey to ban new infrastructure projects. (NJ Spotlight)