PIPELINES: PennEast drops plans to seize public lands in New Jersey for a controversial natural gas pipeline, though the company will not say whether it has abandoned the project entirely. (NJ Spotlight)

CLIMATE:
• Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf releases a plan to cut the state’s emissions 80% by 2050, with provisions to increase building efficiency, reduce driving, and cut emissions from oil and gas operations. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• A group of Massachusetts business leaders urges companies to step up efforts to cut emissions: “climate change is upon us, and we’ve got to get this right.” (Boston Globe)
• Vermont’s Climate Council begins a series of public meetings on the state’s climate plan. (VT Digger)

EFFICIENCY: Boston’s city council adopts a new rule requiring large buildings to be net-zero by 2050. (WGBH)

HYDROGEN: National Grid envisions a “hydrogen hub” on Long Island powered by offshore wind farms. (Renewable Energy World)

WIND:
• The Nature Conservancy releases a mapping tool to identify areas where marine species might be impacted by offshore wind development. (New Hampshire Public Radio)
• A new report from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center outlines job opportunities and potential supply chain gaps in the state’s offshore wind market. (Cape Cod Times)

SOLAR: A Maine town considers a temporary moratorium on solar projects after realizing they have no rule requiring money to be set aside for decommission. (Bangor Daily News)

HYDROPOWER: The Niagara Power Project announces completion of $1.6 billion in upgrades, with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul saying the state “cannot exist without this power.” (news release, WFBO)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: New York City announces a $75 million plan to install 275 high-speed electric vehicle chargers. (Patch)

NATURAL GAS: A Maine town has saved thousands of dollars per year and cut carbon emissions by converting city buildings from heating oil to natural gas. (Press Herald)

CLEAN ENERGY: The city of Salem, Massachusetts, announces a three-year contract to provide carbon-free electricity for municipal operations. (news release)

UTILITIES: Atlantic City Electric announces plans to reduce emissions in its own operations, including purchasing 50% carbon-free electricity by 2025. (news release)

COMMENTARY:
• An editorial urges Connecticut officials to use infrastructure funds to help cut emissions rather than encourage driving: “If Connecticut can’t do it, there’s little hope for the rest of the country.” (CT Insider)
• Advocates urge New Hampshire’s U.S. senators to support a national clean energy standard, noting that emissions from elsewhere make the state “the tailpipe of the nation.” (Portsmouth Herald)
• An advocate says New Jersey can act now on promoting zero-emission trucks and buses rather than wait on new federal standards. (NJ Spotlight)

Ken is the director of the Energy News Network at Fresh Energy and is a founding editor of both Midwest Energy News and Southeast Energy News. Prior to joining Fresh Energy, he was the managing editor for online news at Minnesota Public Radio. He started his journalism career in 2002 as a copy editor for the Duluth News Tribune before spending five years at the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, where he worked as a copy editor, online producer, features editor and night city editor. A Nebraska native, Ken has a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master's degree from the University of Oregon. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors.