FOSSIL FUELS: In New Hampshire, the Merrimack coal-fired plant has until the end of March to show compliance with emissions requirements after not retaking failed emissions tests for a year. (NHPR)

ALSO: 

  • New York lawmakers advance a bill to ban fracked gas extraction using carbon dioxide as a Texas-based company works to introduce the practice in the state. (Legislative Gazette)
  • The private equity firm that acquired the Pittsburgh-area Homer City coal-fired plant kept it open as long as possible while cutting down jobs and investments — but left workers with little notice of closure. (Pennsylvania Capital-Star)

POLICY: Maryland’s governor says the state will make a “down payment” on its aggressive climate plan by investing $90 million in large building electrification and electric school buses. (Baltimore Sun)

WORKFORCE: A New York electrical workers union comes out in favor of worker-friendly protections within a bill to fully municipalize the Long Island Power Authority but stops short of endorsing the public model. (New York Focus)

INFRASTRUCTURE: 

  • The Philadelphia International Airport receives $20.4 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds to upgrade its HVAC and electrical systems to improve efficiency and reduce emissions. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
  • Two Portland-area towns decide to remove part of an infrequently used but oft-flooded road that also interrupts a protected coastal marsh, a notable climate adaptation. (Portland Press Herald) 
  • Vermont’s utility commission issues a new report finding it probably won’t meet a 2025 deadline to create a thermal energy program and clean heat standard, citing the complexity of such regulation. (WCAX)

SOLAR: 

  • A Rhode Island study commission finds it would be feasible to install solar panels on highway medians throughout the state with certain policy modifications. (ecoRI)
  • A Maine school district finds its investment in a $7.2 million solar array has proven to be worthwhile and covers its monthly power bills, although the upfront development costs won’t be paid off for another 12 years. (WBNG)

OFFSHORE WIND: The final parts needed for the South Fork wind farm have departed the construction staging pier in New London, Connecticut. (The Day)

EQUITY:

CLIMATE: 

  • New York City’s official evacuation plan for a tent shelter at a flood-prone park housing around 2,000 migrants doesn’t detail what to do in a weather emergency. (Gothamist)
  • Last week’s “disappointing” snow coverage in the Boston area underscores how Boston hasn’t seen significant snow in over 720 days. (Boston Globe)
  • Rhode Island grants just under $220,000 to six community groups to conduct public engagement around the state’s 2025 climate action strategy. (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.