CLIMATE: Boston likely can’t meet its 2030 or 2050 climate goals unless “more systemic changes” are implemented, according to a new Northeastern University report. (GBH, NBC Boston)
ALSO:
• Several groups sue the U.S. EPA for allegedly failing to invoke certain Clean Water Act provisions to protect Boston’s waterways from polluted stormwater runoff — a growing concern amid heavier rainfall under climate change. (Reuters)
• Maryland’s Prince George’s County kicks off municipal curbside compost collection to reduce its landfill emissions. (NBC Washington)
• A very small percentage of Maine’s forests are managed to sell carbon offset credits, but their existence isn’t without controversy. (Maine Public Radio)
OIL & GAS:
• Despite no public hearings, Pennsylvania passes a massive tax credit for industries including hydrogen production, which some environmentalists say prolongs the state’s fossil fuel dependence by encouraging gas production. (Spotlight PA)
• Federal funds currently earmarked for plugging some of Pennsylvania’s abandoned wells will be wasted unless drillers are held accountable for and forced to plug up wells, experts warn. (E&E News)
BUILDINGS: Many New York City Council members say they’re concerned large building owners can buy renewable energy credits in lieu of retrofitting the structures to reduce emissions. (NY Daily News)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A new Pennsylvania law allows electric, heavy-duty commercial vehicles to drive on state roads. (Tribune-Democrat)
GRID: Higher power bills in Maine can be blamed on New England’s reliance on gas for electricity, not solar net metering like one state gubernatorial candidate claimed. (Maine Public Radio)
TRANSIT:
• New York University researchers will soon release a report showing what American cities, including New York, can do to bring down the cost of major transit projects, which tend to be among the world’s highest. (Vice)
• A popular Maine ski resort will use federal funds to purchase five vehicles, including an electric shuttle van, to transport employees to the resort for free and bridge rural transit gaps. (News Center Maine)
SOLAR:
• A Pennsylvania zoning board overrides a zoning officer’s prior decision that a solar farm couldn’t be built on an agricultural parcel. (Citizen-Standard)
• A 20 MW solar farm being built to supply the University of Pittsburgh is now under construction, and will be among the largest in western Pennsylvania. (news release)
EFFICIENCY: A Delaware nonprofit says it has helped 10,000 homes install energy-efficient or solar-powered outdoor security lighting in communities concerned with crime. (news release)
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