CLIMATE: Echoing fights over the tobacco industry, New York City has sued several major oil and gas companies, as well as their trade association, for advertisements that attorneys say mislead the public about climate impacts. (CNN)

ALSO:
• The mayors of New York City and Pittsburgh have signed onto a letter asking the Biden administration to include them in consultations related to federal climate migration and displacement studies. (Associated Press)
• The University of Maryland plans to reach net-zero emissions by Earth Day 2025, cutting its timeline to reach the goal by 25 years, and have a completely electric vehicle fleet by 2035. (Baltimore Sun)

OVERSIGHT:
• In Pennsylvania, 28 Republican senators refuse to approve Gov. Tom Wolf’s utility commission nominee unless the state backs away from an effort to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• Some activists and community members are concerned that the nominee for the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission is inexperienced and wouldn’t be objective regarding wind turbines. (New Hampshire Public Radio)

PIPELINES: A Pennsylvania county has reached an agreement with the builders of the Mariner East pipeline that allows the county itself to scrutinize construction activities, beyond state-level accountability measures. (StateImpact Pennsylvania)

NATURAL GAS: A 25% natural gas rate hike proposed by New Jersey Natural would disproportionately hurt senior citizens living on fixed incomes, according to a local official. (NJ.com)

GREEN JOBS: Maine Gov. Janet Mills wants to fund at least two clean energy start-ups in her state through a $500,000 competitive grant program in order to bring more green jobs to the state. (Portland Press Herald)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed an executive order mandating zero-emission vehicle purchases starting next year, doubling the number of charging stations sited on state property by 2030, among other measures. (Boston Globe)
• New York City mayor Bill de Blasio says the city’s entire school bus fleet will go electric by 2035, with 75 buses slated to be immediately added. (CBS New York)
• A western New York transit agency has added seven new electric buses to its fleet, four years after the idea to replace older diesel vehicles with battery-electric ones was first introduced. (Ithaca Voice)
• To support tourists, an outlet mall in the Adirondacks has installed ten electric vehicle chargers. (Post-Star)

TRANSPORTATION: New York City officials intend to expand a car sharing program across the city, emphasizing plans to increase accessible parking spots for low-to-moderate-income neighborhoods and provide discounts. (Streetsblog NYC)

RENEWABLE ENERGY: Several northern New York cities and towns are forming a community choice aggregation program in order to provide residents with locally sourced, renewable energy. (WROC)

COMMENTARY: A Massachusetts state senator says that a proposed recent overhaul to the state’s climate laws would will help repair a broken environmental justice system, expand solar access equity and add several gas safety provisions. (Sentinel & Enterprise)

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Bridget Reed Morawski

Bridget is a freelance reporter and newsletter writer based in the Washington, D.C., area. She compiles the Northeast Energy News digest. Bridget primarily writes about energy, conservation and the environment. Originally from Philadelphia, she graduated from Emerson College in 2015 with a degree in journalism and a minor in environmental studies. When she isn’t working on a story, she’s normally on a northern Maine lake or traveling abroad to practice her Spanish language skills.