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)

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.