ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Connecticut’s transit authority takes its fleet of 12 electric buses off the road following a fire that completely consumed one of the vehicles at a maintenance facility; an investigation is underway to determine why the battery caught fire. (Hartford Courant)

ALSO:
• A Maryland company touts its new solid-state battery, which it says lacks overheating and flammability concerns sometimes observed in lithium-ion models. (Daily Record)
• A New Jersey legislative committee considers a bill to allow county vocational high schools to partner with private companies to include electric vehicle certification and training in their automotive programs. (Cherry Hill Courier-Post)
• A transportation bond bill before the Massachusetts state Senate would form a commission to address lost gas tax revenue, partially due to electric vehicle adoption, through tolling or distance fees. (Boston Herald)
• Rochester, New York, kicks off a new smartphone app for residents and visitors to rent electric cars by the hour or day. (WHEC)

EFFICIENCY: New research by Efficiency Maine shows that stand-alone heat pump systems can deliver comfort and cost savings even in sub-zero temperatures. (Energy News Network)

GAS: Eight years after drawing a line in the sand over injection wells installations, residents of a western Pennsylvania town and a petroleum company head to court to determine how much say a locality should have over environmental regulations. (The New Republic)

CLIMATE:
• Newark, New Jersey, is one of the country’s worst heat islands, and residents of the Ironbound neighborhood have almost no trees to help with cooling. (NorthJersey.com)
• An urban gardening expert experiments with a crushed rock and soil mixture that he hypothesizes will lead to great carbon sequestration and more bountiful crops. (Gothamist)
• Maine’s state climatologist and the leader of an organic farming association discuss how climate change impacts the farming industry. (WMTW)

SOLAR:
• A developer says its 80 MW solar farm in Pennsylvania’s Poconos region has received one of its two final permits, putting it on track for a fall construction start. (Pocono Record)
• The Interstate Renewable Energy Council releases a report showing Rhode Island and Maine in the bottom half of states in terms of solar jobs per capita. (Providence Business News, Maine Public Radio)

UTILITIES: Maine regulators approve new performance metrics for Versant and Central Maine Power — the state’s two investor-owned utilities — predominantly based on customer service concerns. (Portland Press Herald)

TRANSIT: At the current rate, New York City’s subway ridership won’t return to its pre-pandemic level for 13 years, transit agency officials say. (NBC New York)

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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.