OFFSHORE WIND: The developers behind the Commonwealth and Mayflower wind projects in Massachusetts say the facilities are “no longer [economically] viable” and that their contracts need to be renegotiated and a regulatory review should be paused. (State House News Service)
ALSO: Federal officials release a draft plan to conserve the North Atlantic right whale around offshore wind projects along the East Coast, with public comments open until December 4. (Associated Press)
EFFICIENCY: A Maine grassroots organization insulates heat-leaking windows through “community builds” in four states that produce thousands of the easy-to-install inserts each year. (Energy News Network)
ELECTRIFICATION:
• New York City’s mayor announces a $4 billion plan to electrify heating in 100 schools by 2030, although some experts say that project could strain the grid. (Gothamist)
• Maryland plans to convert its last coal-heated public school to electric boilers as part of a $4.7 million project that also includes upgraded HVAC. (Cumberland Times-News)
CLIMATE:
• A new study predicts “an active end” to the 2022 North Atlantic hurricane season because of a robust La Niña and warmer ocean temperatures, although experts say forecasting such trends is hard to do. (Newsday)
• A New York news outlet explains what state residents should know before voting on a proposed $4.2 billion bond to improve the state’s climate resilient infrastructure and protect natural resources. (Gothamist)
HURRICANE SANDY ANNIVERSARY:
• A decade after Hurricane Sandy hit, New York City’s transit agency works on projects to keep its waterfront routes dry, but repairs from that storm are still underway. (The City)
• New York forms an office dedicated to climate-resilient homes and communities, building on storm recovery work following Hurricane Sandy. (Brooklyn Eagle)
SOLAR:
• Some residents wonder whether there are too many solar projects in the pipeline in Ticonderoga, New York. (Adirondack Explorer)
• A New York county mulls whether to create a payments in lieu of taxes system for solar developers, with supporters saying it would spur development. (Cortland Voice)
PIPELINES: A Pennsylvania county declines to charge UGI over a gas pipeline explosion that killed a woman on December 25, 2020, but doesn’t explain its rationale. (Daily Voice Northampton)
AFFORDABILITY:
• Rhode Island regulators authorize Rhode Island Energy to raise its natural gas rates by 9.6%, less than the 15% sought by the utility after agreeing to provide millions of dollars worth of credits. (Providence Journal)
• Some Bostonians already are seeing heating oil tank bills running hundreds or even over a thousand dollars more than they paid last year and are worried about the cost of a refill this season. (Boston Globe)
GEOTHERMAL: A geothermal greenhouse in Boston is one example of how Massachusetts is making investments to expand year-round farming. (Civil Eats)
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