PIPELINES: Pennsylvania’s attorney general announces nearly 50 criminal charges against Sunoco Pipeline LP, which is accused of “illegal behavior” during the construction of the Mariner East 2 pipeline that polluted Pennsylvania waterways. (Philadelphia Inquirer, Associated Press)

PUBLIC HEALTH:
• A new report from environmental and public advocacy groups finds Pittsburgh residents breathed unhealthy air for 57 days in 2020, yet its air quality ranked only sixth worst in the state. (Daily Climate, TribLive)
• The air quality of Pennsylvania’s southeastern York County area was worse than major urban centers like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, the report added. (York Daily Record)
• In New Hampshire, the same report finds the city of Concord had the fewest bad-quality air days, while Keene and Berlin had many more such days. (Concord Monitor)

GRID: Political committees have spent around $60 million campaigning for or against the ballot question concerning Central Maine Power’s controversial power line project in Maine’s upper Kennebec River Valley. (Portland Press-Herald)

SOLAR: It’s been eight months since developers submitted community solar project applications to New Jersey’s utility regulator, but regulators still haven’t announced winners, and developers say it imperils their construction plans. (RTO Insider, subscription)

CLEAN ENERGY:
• A New Hampshire legislative committee recommends dissolving and rebuilding the state energy project siting panel, but some stakeholders disagree about the timing and whether an entire overhaul is warranted. (New Hampshire Public Radio)
• Thirteen New Hampshire municipalities and one county form a community power coalition to aggregate and sell electricity to their residents. (Portsmouth Herald)

GAS: A western New York house explosion that killed a man over the weekend may have been caused by a natural gas leak, according to New York State Police. (WKBW)

WIND: Few residents in Vermont’s Castleton and West Rutland seem to be willing to consider the installation of a single wind turbine. (WCAX)

TRANSPORTATION:
• As Pennsylvania lawmakers consider the future of transportation electrification in the fossil fuel-heavy state, a Chester County-based electric vehicle infrastructure company develops wireless charging for heavy-duty electric vehicles. (Pennsylvania Capital-Star)
• Delaware Transit Corp receives around $3.5 million in federal grants to purchase six new electric buses. (news release)

UTILITIES: Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee says the state has given out $50 million to help cover certain rent and utility payments, with about $175 million left in federal emergency funds remaining. (Providence Journal)

COMMENTARY:
• Rhode Island’s secretary of state, who’s also running for governor, argues New England states need to make “smart investments” into coastal and climate resiliency to protect communities. (Boston Globe)
• A retired trucking fleet executive says the New Jersey utility regulator’s charging infrastructure proposal is reassuring but certain concerns about long-term planning remain. (Utility Dive)

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.