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OFFSHORE WIND: Avangrid tells Massachusetts regulators that it wants to void its agreements with three utilities to build the Commonwealth Wind farm and rebid under more favorable terms, pushing its estimated completion to 2028. (Boston Globe)
ALSO: Several Ocean County, New Jersey, mayors say they’re worried that building offshore wind farms will jeopardize views and tourism. (WOBM)
GRID:
• Advocates say grid operators must better prepare for more common extreme weather events in the Great Lakes region, suggesting more transmission to lessen blackouts. (Energy News Network)
• Thousands of New Englanders are still reporting outages this morning after a weekend nor’easter blanketed the region in snow. (PowerOutage.US, USA Today)
• Around 62,000 New Hampshire electric customers lost power over the weekend, although the majority had service return by last night. (WMUR)
• New York utility regulators authorize $98 million to be spent on 27 local transmission projects; funding sources for the rest of the $1.27 billion needed for the work will be determined later. (news release)
• Utility and grid officials break ground on the Smart Path Connect transmission rebuild project in northern New York. (NNY360)
CLIMATE:
• A recently introduced state bill would allow individual New Yorkers to sue fossil fuel companies in court if passed. (Democrat & Chronicle)
• New York’s climate council will vote today on a final scoping plan, which some climate change activists fear allows too much continued gas use. (Times Union)
• Hallowell, Maine, forms a new comprehensive city plan that includes solar and electric vehicle infrastructure and creating a climate resilience committee. (Kennebec Journal)
• A Boston gingerbread house building competition examines the city’s climate future with some holiday spirit. (WBUR)
CRYPTOMINING: Federal energy regulators allow a 60 MW gas-fired power plant near Buffalo, New York, to be sold to a cryptomining company. (RTO Insider, subscription)
BUILDINGS:
• After decades of consideration, a biomass-based district heat plan gains momentum in Burlington, Vermont, despite environmentalists’ concerns over carbon emissions. (WCAX)
• In Lawrence, Massachusetts, a building’s heating system suffers a carbon monoxide leak, sending almost a dozen people to the hospital. (NBC Boston)
TRANSPORTATION:
• A highway expansion project in New Jersey leaves opponents questioning what the potential impact will be on environmental justice communities and overall climate mitigation goals. (New York Times)
• Pennsylvania officials release rules describing the conditions under which someone can bring an e-bike onto state parks and forests. (news release)
CLEAN ENERGY: Federal officials plan to spend millions of dollars to fund Vermont and New Hampshire rural climate initiatives, while another $1 million will go toward Pennsylvania solar installations. (NBC5, The Center Square)
HYDROPOWER: A New York city considers its options as a contract to sell excess hydropower expires, leaving a substantial hole in its budget. (WWNY)
UTILITIES: Over 1,000 Connecticut ratepayers are blocked from switching to a different electric supplier from Eversource because the utility enrolled them in a hardship program intending to protect vulnerable customers. (Hartford Courant)
PIPELINES: Free water evaluations are available for all Pennsylvania homeowners impacted by Mariner East 2 pipeline construction, paid for by Energy Transfer. (WTAJ)
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