UTILITIES: New England ratepayers faced $536 million in extra charges over 13  months to keep a soon-to-be-retired Massachusetts natural gas plant running in case of regional power shortages, according to grid operator ISO-New England. (CommonWealth)

ALSO: Creditors improve the New York Power Authority’s bond rating after it successfully builds two major transmission lines, and as the public utility’s temporary leader becomes permanent. (Times Union)

GAS:
• As southeastern Pennsylvania labor leaders and gas industry supporters have tried to raise support for a gas liquefaction plant and export terminal on the Delaware River, residents remain concerned about pollution and blight. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• After a house explosion in eastern Pennsylvania kills six people, a gas utility tells residents to install alarms that could alert them to natural gas system problems. (TribLive)

CLEAN ENERGY: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, alerts towns that it’s considering adopting a property assessed clean energy program to help finance clean energy and efficiency projects. (Lancaster Online)

STORAGE: MIT researchers say they’ve developed an energy storage system out of cement, water and carbon that could charge electric vehicles and power homes without batteries. (Boston Globe, subscription)

OFFSHORE WIND: Massachusetts high schools and community colleges are investing in offshore wind worker training programs as the state looks to become an industry leader. (New Bedford Light) 

OVERSIGHT: A lawsuit over federal regulator’s approval of a gas pipeline spanning Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey could set a standard for how regulators assess fossil fuel projects that contradict state climate policies. (E&E News)

SOLAR: The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities votes to make its community solar pilot program permanent. (ROI-NJ)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• New Jersey starts accepting public comment on its plan to phase out combustion vehicle sales by 2035. (New Jersey Monitor)
• A Watertown, Massachusetts, company developed a wireless charger for electric vehicles, which is slowly rolling out in a Hyundai EV and two Chinese car models. (Boston Globe)
• Supporters and opposers of Connecticut’s plan to phase out combustion vehicle sales by 2035 speak out in a public hearing. (Hartford Courant, subscription)

CLIMATE:
• Pennsylvania’s fifth-largest county unveils a sustainability plan that calls for quickly reducing emissions and boosting renewable energy deployment 10% in the next 5 years. (WHYY)
• After flooding wrecked a New Hampshire town’s road two years in a row, leaders are unsure if they can afford to keep rebuilding — a dilemma that’s also affecting other towns as climate change makes the state wetter. (NHPR)
• Vermont residents affected by July’s flooding can soon apply for Efficiency Vermont funding to replace home heating systems and other appliances. (VTDigger)
• A week of extreme heat in July sent 64 Mainers to emergency rooms, 10 more than sought medical attention during last year’s hottest week. (Bangor Daily News)

AFFORDABILITY: A New York legislator looks to make more low-income residents eligible for an air conditioner subsidy program. (City Limits)

HYDROPOWER: A building at a hydroelectric plant in western Massachusetts collapses and partially burns. (Boston Globe)

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Kathryn brings her extensive editorial background to the Energy News Network team, where she oversees the early-morning production of ENN’s five email digest newsletters as well as distribution of ENN’s original journalism with other media outlets. From documenting chronic illness’ effect on college students to following the inner workings of Congress, Kathryn has built a broad experience in her more than five years working at major publications including The Week Magazine. Kathryn holds a Bachelor of Science in magazine journalism and information management and technology from Syracuse University.