GRID: A new report says power demand will fall substantially in Northeast grid operations and elsewhere well into 2021 as the economy slips into recession from the coronavirus pandemic. (Greentech Media)

NUCLEAR: Exelon confirms five coronavirus cases among the more than 1,000 workers conducting a refueling outage at the Limerick nuclear plant in Pennsylvania. (The Mercury)

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CLIMATE: Two Maine cities near completion of their joint Climate Action Plan but need more public input that will be solicited virtually this week during the stay-at-home order. (Portland Press Herald)

EMISSIONS: An analysis shows about 650 MW of oil- and gas-fired peaking capacity in New York City will retire rather than be upgraded to comply with new emissions regulations. (Platts)

EFFICIENCY:
• A Vermont city will create a “green stimulus package” to boost the economy during the coronavirus outbreak to encourage climate-friendly actions by using unspent energy efficiency funds. (VT Digger)
• A New York county launches an efficiency program that offers cash rewards for participation in demand response programs and monitors use to identify ways to cut consumption. (Energy + Environment Leader)

OIL & GAS: A Pennsylvania contractor pleads no contest to charges of discharging 63,000 gallons of treated wastewater from a natural gas well pad. (PennLive)

WIND: A developer offers grants to Maine community and sustainability organizations where it expects to constrict projects over the next few years. (WABI)

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SOLAR: A Rhode Island town seeks to remove a planning board chair who says he would “override” board decisions that could be made setting decommissioning bonds placed by solar developers. (Westerly Sun) 

COMMENTARY:
• An environmental technology advocate says reduced emissions caused by the economic slowdown from COVID-19 shows what is possible if collective action can be focused on reducing pollution after the outbreak passes. (Portland Press Herald)
• An editorial board says Exelon was wrong to start a refueling outage at a Pennsylvania nuclear plant when the coronavirus outbreak had already begun. (The Reporter)

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Bill Opalka

Bill is a freelance journalist based outside Albany, New York. As a former New England correspondent for RTO Insider, he has written about energy for newspapers, magazines and other publications for more than 20 years. He has an extensive career in trade publications and newspapers, mostly focused on the utility sector, covering such issues as restructuring, renewable energy and consumer affairs. Bill covers Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire and also compiles the Northeast Energy News daily email digest.