CLIMATE: Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee signs a monumental climate bill into law that includes a 45% emissions reduction by 2030 goal. (Providence Journal)

ALSO: Maryland’s House passes a climate bill calling for a 50% reduction in emissions by 2030, sending it back to the state senate. (Maryland Matters)

***SPONSORED LINK: 2021 IPF Registration is now open! This year, IPF will be both in-person and virtual. IPF Together will be held August 24-26 in Richmond, VA (space is limited due to COVID guidelines). IPF Virtual will be taking place April 22, May 13, and June 17. Learn more and register today!***

UTILITIES:
• Vermont’s largest electric co-op plans to decarbonize its power supply by 2023 by not extending contracts with fossil fuel-based producers. (VTDigger)
• Connecticut has the highest electricity prices in the country due to a combination of high transmission costs, low demand and a rising renewables penetration, among other factors. (Hartford Courant)

PIPELINES: Sunoco submits a new groundwater flow mitigation plan for Mariner East 2 pipeline construction in a Pennsylvania township, but local anglers and residents fear for a nearby creek and the risk of sinkholes near their homes. (WHYY)

SOLAR:
• In Maine, a 2019 net energy billing law opened the floodgates to massive investment in community solar projects; now, legislators are wondering if their policies are too generous. (Portland Press Herald)
• Two new National Grid substations in Saratoga County, New York, have helped solar farms connect to the grid in a region with steadily increasing capacity. (Times Union)

WORKFORCE:
• Opponents of a renewable energy workforce development bill in Maine argue at a public hearing that the proposed legislation would unintentionally damage the industry. (Maine Public)
• A local lawmakers blames scheduled layoffs at a Pennsylvania coal plant on the abundance and competitiveness of natural gas. (Indiana Gazette)

BIOMASS: A renewable energy company is appealing Massachusetts’ decision to revoke an air permit for a proposed 35 MW biomass facility with a long history of opposition. (MassLive, subscription)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: New York lawmakers are considering a bevy of bills targeting electric vehicle adoption — one of which would allow direct customer sales, as well as another opposed by National Grid that would have utilities propose tariffs for commercial fast charging. (Utility Dive)

***SPONSORED LINK: What does the future hold as the U.S. accelerates its transition to clean energy? Join the Energy News Network on April 22 for a conversation about what’s next for coal country. Register today!***

TRANSMISSION: A Massachusetts town threatens to sue Eversource over its plan to use herbicides for vegetation management under parts of its transmission network, citing ecosystem and water supply concerns. (Cape Cod Times)

COMMENTARY:
• A Massachusetts solar incentive program hasn’t helped many low-income Bay Staters, so any expansion needs to consider non-financial solar adoption barriers, according to Vote Solar’s Northeast regulatory director. (Energy News Network)
• A Sierra Club representative says that given the environmental damage to the region stemming from fossil fuel production and related chemicals, wind turbines on Lake Erie should be given a chance. (Buffalo News)
• The Maryland League of Conservation Voters’ deputy director argues that passage of a bill to require the state to shift to an electric bus fleet should be accelerated. (Maryland Matters)

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.