GAS: In Massachusetts, a state pilot allowing 10 communities to enact gas hookup bans should be expanded to allow more cities and towns to participate, advocates say, noting the lack of diversity in the pilot’s priority municipality list and the urgency of the climate crisis. (Energy News Network)

ALSO: PJM Interconnection says gas-fired generation on its grid has risen 11% this year over 2022, citing declines in coal use. (S&P Global)

OFFSHORE WIND:
• BP and Equinor are renegotiating their power purchase agreements but could cancel the Empire and Beacon offshore wind projects if the companies cannot secure a 6-8% return on the investment. (Reuters)
• Vineyard Wind expects to begin pushing offshore windpower onto the New England grid by mid-October and scale up to full operations by next summer. (Boston Globe)

SOLAR:
• A New York lawmaker introduces a bill to require solar and battery storage systems to display fire safety data information and calls for a temporary moratorium on new projects following a major fire last week. (Spectrum News 1)
• A solar developer retracts plans for a waterfront solar array in the upstate New York town that saw a major fire last week at a different solar farm. (NNY360)
• A judge rules in favor of a solar developer fighting a New York town for not following legal notification protocols and trying to make it refile its application. (Post-Journal)

BUILDINGS: An 800-unit, all-electric apartment complex under development in suburban Boston is set to become the largest example of passive house building standards in the country. (Boston Globe)

GRID:
• Every New England state except New Hampshire has joined an effort to encourage the region’s power grid operator to create an executive-level environmental justice position to inform planning. (Connecticut Public)
• Federal energy officials grant $10 million to a Vermont company to bring mobile energy storage systems to five rural communities facing repeated power outages. (WCAX)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Massachusetts advocates wanting to add electric vehicle charging logos alongside those for gas stations on highway exit signs face outdated regulations and a slow response from federal highway officials. (Boston Globe)

CLIMATE:
• A Boston planning agency wants to bolster the climate resiliency of a Dorchester beach where rising sea levels threaten a nearby rail line, but some residents fear the water will be redirected toward their homes. (WBUR)
• The story of a Manhattan wetland’s comeback from illegal dumping ground to a thriving, restored shoreline despite climate change impacts highlights one aspect of creating a climate-resilient city. (Inside Climate News)
• The Natural Areas Conservancy releases a new report finding that New York City’s urban natural areas are among its coolest places, suggesting that expanding urban forests would help reduce the threat of extreme heat. (City Limits)

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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.