OFFSHORE WIND: New York adds 2.5 GW of offshore wind contracts for two projects being developed by European energy giants Equinor and BP. (Greentech Media)
ALSO: The first offshore wind tower facility in the U.S. will be built outside Albany and produce 150 towers annually. (News10 ABC)
CLIMATE:
• As Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker faces today’s deadline to sign a landmark climate law, legislative leaders say they will pass the same bill again if it is vetoed. (CommonWealth Magazine)
• New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo lays out an aggressive climate action plan that includes renewable energy projects across the state and a build-out of transmission from upstate areas to the New York City load center. (Buffalo News)
• Penn State professor and noted climate scientist Michael Mann writes a new book that says the U.S. under President Biden is poised to retake global leadership in confronting the climate crisis. (StateImpact Pennsylvania)
TRANSPORTATION: NJ Transit drops its pursuit of an air quality permit for a microgrid to power its facilities in the northern part of the state at the urging of Gov. Phil Murphy. (NorthJersey.com)
SOLAR:
• A state land use agency approves a 30-acre solar array and lodge in a plan to revive a recently reopened ski resort. (CentralMaine.com)
• Gov. Andrew Cuomo in his state-of-the-state address promotes a 200 MW solar farm in the western part of New York. (The Daily News)
EFFICIENCY: Providence officials propose a local law for owners of buildings larger than 10,000 square feet to report their energy use. (ecoRI)
PIPELINES: Pennsylvania environmental officials conduct a virtual hearing on a proposed natural gas pipeline from the northeastern part of the state to New Jersey. (The Citizens’ Voice)
RENEWABLE ENERGY: A state report says that if electricity demand remains flat, Rhode island will reach its goal of becoming 100% powered by renewable energy by 2030. (Providence Journal)
ACTIVISM: Students protest at the Connecticut capitol to urge officials to cancel a natural gas power plant proposed for the eastern part of the state. (Hartford Courant)
HEATING: Vermont releases a guide for residents who want to heat their homes with non-fossil fuel resources. (News10)
COMMENTARY:
• The editorial board of the Boston Globe urges Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker to sign a massive climate law that took nearly a year to enact.
• A union official says support for New Jersey’s nuclear fleet is needed to ensure an economic recovery from the pandemic. (NJ.com)