ELECTRIFICATION: Boston’s mayor bans fossil fuel-fired infrastructure in new or renovated city buildings, as officials move forward on a plan that would do the same for new residential projects. (Boston Herald)

OFFSHORE WIND:
• Federal officials outline three new, large areas off the Atlantic coasts of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia that they believe could support at least 4 GW of offshore wind power. (UPI)
• SouthCoast Wind appeals Rhode Island regulators’ decision to pause its application to run a power line in the Sakonnet River for its 2.4 GW offshore wind farm, an action taken amid questions of the project’s financing. (Providence Journal)

GRID:
• New York’s governor forms a battery storage system safety task force to study the safety of such facilities after a third battery fire broke out in the state last week; that fire has been contained. (Recharge News, WWNY)
• The New York Power Authority authorizes funding to expand the use of drones to inspect its power lines and other infrastructure that is challenging to access. (Times Union)

SOLAR:
• New York’s renewable energy siting office issues a final permit for the up-to-100 MW Bear Ridge solar facility but finds that some acreage within the project area is off limits. (Lockport Union-Sun & Journal)
• A Pennsylvania lawmaker introduces a bill that would prevent solar development on certain USDA-ranked types of prime farmland. (The Center Square)
• A western New York county extends a moratorium on new solar or wind projects through the end of 2023. (Orleans Time Herald)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Several New York City lawmakers say electric vehicle drivers should receive discounts from a planned traffic congestion toll program. (Streetsblog NYC)
• Tesla plans to open a service and retail facility slated to be one of its largest New England locations at a former Providence, Rhode Island, grocery store. (PBN)

CLIMATE:
• The summit of New Hampshire’s Mount Washington records its wettest-ever July, breaking a 1996 record with precipitation about double the average measurement. (NHPR)
• New Hampshire anticipates seeing its highest-ever number of reported cyanobacteria algae blooms this year. (NHPR)
• Maryland issues $3 million in climate resiliency grants for projects ranging from stream bank stabilization to stormwater management projects and shoreline reconstruction. (news release)

HEAT:
• The number of patients seeking help at New York City emergency rooms for heat-related problems shot up between last Wednesday and Thursday, when temperatures were above 100 degrees. (E&E News)
• As part of an urban planning workforce diversification program, children from Boston’s environmental justice communities study extreme heat in the Roxbury neighborhood and find temperatures can be up to 10 degrees hotter than at the airport. (WBUR)

BUILDINGS: Construction begins on the first net-zero building in Binghamton, New York: a straw bale office building for a local urban agriculture and food justice organization. (WIVT)

OIL & GAS: A New York City high school temporarily evacuates after high natural gas measurements were recorded. (SI Live)

HYDROPOWER: New York awards over 9 MW of low-cost hydropower to 21 companies across the state, allotments intended to spur economic development and protect or create thousands of jobs. (news release)

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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.