UTILITIES: The governors of New York and Connecticut call for investigations into whether utilities were prepared for Tropical Storm Isaias, which spawned the worst string of power outages since Superstorm Sandy. (NPR, New York Times)

ALSO: Connecticut’s utility regulators say Eversource misclassified the storm and vastly underestimated the number of outages that would occur. (Hartford Courant)

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CLIMATE: Massachusetts lawmakers appear likely to pass a landmark clean energy bill this year, though details have yet to be worked out. (E&E News)

GRID: Massachusetts rolls out final rules for a new “clean peak” standard requiring clean energy to be prioritized during times of peak demand. (State House News Service)

WIND: Two global energy companies are investing $100 million in a University of Maine floating offshore wind pilot project. (Portland Press Herald)

TRANSMISSION: Maine’s Supreme Court hears arguments in a utility effort to stop a ballot referendum on a $1 billion hydropower transmission line. (Bangor Daily News)

OIL & GAS:
• New regulations in Pennsylvania have increased the price of a shale gas drilling permit by 150%. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signs a bill regulating fracking byproducts as hazardous waste. (news release)

SOLAR: The Delaware River Port Authority begins work on a 22 MW solar array that will help power commuter trains in the Philadelphia area. (Philadelphia Inquirer)

EFFICIENCY:
• The merger of two New England affordable housing nonprofits is expected to help advance energy-efficiency development. (MaineBiz)
• A Massachusetts town is struggling to meet its energy efficiency goals despite participation in a state grant program. (Harvard Press)

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TECHNOLOGY: A New Jersey startup promoting an alternative battery technology prepares to enter the market. (Greentech Media)

COMMENTARY:
• A Massachusetts lawmaker and a consumer advocate say appliance efficiency standards are “the best climate change policy you’ve never heard of.” (CommonWealth Magazine)
• A columnist says lack of transparency in the Massachusetts legislature is hurting efforts to fight climate change. (Daily Hampshire Gazette)

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.