WIND: A startup champions a smaller-scale wind turbine in Vermont that it hopes would encounter less public objection than large utility scale machines. (Energy News Network)

ALSO: The developer of an offshore wind farm in Maryland delays the project a second time due to the lack of a land-based connection and now estimates completion in mid-2026. (Delmarvanow)

***SPONSORED LINK: Save the Date! Registration for the Business Network for Offshore Wind’s International Partnering Forum opens March 15. Unique this year, IPF will be in-person (August) *AND* virtual (April, May, June.)*** 

POWER PLANTS: The last coal-fired power plant in New Hampshire will run until mid-2025 as a successful bidder in the recent capacity auction for the New England power grid. (Concord Monitor)

FRACKING:
• A four-part series examines the health consequences for a Pennsylvania region in the center of the state’s fracking boom. (Environmental Health News)
• Environmental advocates and Republican legislators respond to the decision by several governors to permanently ban fracking in an area of northeastern Pennsylvania. (Reading Eagle, Williamsport Sun-Gazette) 

OIL & GAS:
• A new report says the natural gas industry received tax breaks of $3.7 billion and direct payments of $118 million in 2019 from Pennsylvania. (Pittsburgh City Paper)
• While Pennsylvania Democrats have stated climate change is a priority, recent legislative hearings have heavily featured fossil fuels. (StateImpact Pennsylvania)

TRANSMISSION: Analysts say accommodating Maine’s renewable energy goals over the next decades will require a makeover of the state’s transmission infrastructure similar to one that occurred a few decades ago. (Portland Press Herald)

SOLAR: A New Hampshire nonprofit installs residential solar systems at a reduced cost by tapping community expertise using the concept of an Amish barn-raising. (Concord Monitor)

COMMENTARY:
• An editorial board cheers a host community agreement between a state authority and New London, Connecticut that will result in higher payments for the city as a potential offshore wind hub. (The Day)
• The developer of a biomass plant in Massachusetts counters “public misinformation” about the technology and says the project promises environmental benefits and jobs for the community. (Masslive)
• An environmental advocacy group says the impacts of New Jersey rejoining a regional emissions agreement in 2019 are now being seen with additional investments in efficiency and clean energy projects. (NorthJersey.com)
• A Massachusetts utility says it is a committed partner in the state’s clean energy initiatives and also extending them to benefit lower-income households. (Telegram & Gazette)
• A Maine logger questions the purported economic benefits of Central Maine Power’s transmission line project as out-of-state contractors and employees are performing land-clearing. (Sun Journal)
• The New Jersey Conservation Foundation says New Jersey can avoid Texas’ grid failure by developing the right mix of clean energy resources while building a more modern transmission system. (NJ Spotlight)

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.