FINANCE: New York’s state pension fund, the third-largest in the country, will sell $238 million worth of stock and debt in 21 shale companies it says aren’t trying to lower emissions, but will keep its holdings in another 21 shale companies. (Reuters)

SOLAR:
• Vermont regulators reject a developer’s request to relocate two 2 MW solar arrays in Bennington to elsewhere in town. (Bennington Banner)
• Some residents of two Vermont towns implore officials to walk back earlier support for two ground-mounted solar arrays currently under regulatory review. (Valley News)
• PJM Interconnection proposes prioritizing solar projects closest to being shovel-ready to clear out a backlog of thousands of energy projects — a proposal that has strong stakeholder support despite leaving some developers worried about pausing other projects’ reviews. (NJ Spotlight)
• Residents and officials in a small Maine town discuss instating a new solar project moratorium to give them time to craft a review process. (Advertiser Democrat)

CLIMATE: Maryland lawmakers aim to pass a major emissions reduction bill this session, and have several smaller climate bills also on the table, including proposals to let the state sue fossil fuel companies for climate damage and to compel counties to craft climate action plans. (Capital News Service, Maryland Matters)

GAS:
• Environmentalists and the head of Philadelphia Gas Works present vastly different views on the future of natural gas in the city at a council meeting. (WHYY)
• Federal officials will grant almost $70 million to New York to stop up the state’s close to 7,000 abandoned oil and gas wells. (Times Union)

GRID: New Jersey clean energy advocates say the redesign of a microgrid that would support NJ Transit doesn’t include enough renewable energy sources. (NorthJersey.com)

UTILITY BILLS: Maine Gov. Janet Mills wants utility regulators to approve a one-time, $90 credit for low-income electric customers to counteract a rate jump. (Portland Press Herald)

TRANSPORTATION:
• Low-income or renting Vermonters say it’s hard to overcome charging infrastructure accessibility and vehicle cost when trying to go electric for personal transportation. (Seven Days)
• Boston extends a fare-free program for two years on three city bus lines after a shorter-term pilot showed a large ridership increase. (Associated Press)

COMMENTARY:
• New Hampshire’s public advocate argues that the details of a pending deal for Eversource to buy thousands of utility poles from a failing telecommunications company shouldn’t be kept secret. (InDepthNH)
• A nonprofit’s analysis suggests that federal infrastructure funds will boost new clean energy investments that will contribute to up to 16,700 new, direct jobs in New Jersey. (NRDC)

 

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.