Editor’s note: A bill proposed in New York would require fashion companies operating in the state to disclose their climate impacts. Yesterday’s digest misstated which companies the bill would affect.

SOLAR:
The largest municipal solar array in New Hampshire — a 3.3 MW facility sited on a former landfill — comes online in Manchester. (New Hampshire Union Leader)
Soon-to-be-published Cornell University research shows New Yorkers are more likely to support rooftop and community solar projects than utility-scale farms, suggesting potential facilities could be reconfigured for greater public acceptance. (News 10)

EFFICIENCY: New York City’s deadliest fire in decades was caused by a malfunctioning space heater in a building with poor heating efficiency and insulation, which advocates say highlights how energy efficiency concerns aren’t just a climate issue. (Gizmodo)

TRANSPORTATION:
A new report compiled by Rhode Island state agencies finds a 100% renewable electricity mandate would incentivize investments in the electric vehicle market. (Providence Business News)
Some existing New York regulations might stop the state from enacting several clean transportation policies and need to be repealed, advocates say. (WAER)
Environmentalists say plans to restore or rehabilitate two major NJ Transit centers should extensively incorporate solar and other ‘green’ energy sources. (NJ Advance Media)

OFFSHORE WIND:
A New Jersey community group sues a federal agency over plans to build an offshore wind farm in the New York Bight, claiming regulators didn’t prepare an in-depth environmental impact report. (Reuters)
•  Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker argues in favor of removing the state’s offshore wind power price cap, which some say will help support infrastructure development and job training. (WBUR)

UTILITY BILLS: Massachusetts receives more than double its usual low-income home energy assistance program funding through the federal government’s American Rescue Plan. (State House News Service)

GRID: Exceptionally cold temperatures led ISO New England to bring oil and coal peaker plants into service yesterday, with the fossil fuels respectively making up 17% and 3% of the grid’s energy mix. (Commonwealth Magazine)

CLEAN ENERGY: A northern New Jersey borough resolves to consider climate concerns in its budget and set greenhouse gas reduction goals that match state-level requirements. (Madison Eagle)

CLIMATE:
A secretive clean heat commission appointed by Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker meets today to begin considering how best to reduce building emissions and transition away from fossil fuel-based heating. (Boston Globe)
Maryland lawmakers consider raising their carbon emissions reduction goal to a proposed target of 60% from 2006 levels. (Washington Post)
A Vermont farm argues in court that extreme weather and precipitation associated with climate change, not poor management, are the reason significant agricultural runoff escapes their property. (VT Digger)

GAS:
Some Pennsylvania lawmakers encourage a western New York gas company to relocate to the Keystone State, hoping the neighboring state’s proposed gas ban will push the firm away. (Pennsylvania Capital-Star)
Several west Baltimore buildings were evacuated yesterday after a construction contractor hit a gas main line. (WBAL TV)

UTILITIES: Maine utility regulatory staff recommend ending a major financial penalty levied against Central Maine Power over billing errors and an unsatisfactory company response in early 2020, despite continued customer service concerns. (Bangor Daily News)

HYDROELECTRIC: The New Jersey Institute of Technology plans to secure the equivalent of nearly all of its projected power needs from a hydroelectric portfolio. (news release)

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.