OIL & GAS: New York’s governor proposes a statewide ban on gas heaters and appliances in new buildings, a first-of-its-kind policy on the East Coast if codified. (E&E News)

ALSO: While the New Year’s Day home explosion in Philadelphia may not have been caused by a gas leak on the utility’s side, experts say it still could’ve been a gas explosion caused by a leak in someone’s home. (WHYY)

OFFSHORE WIND:
• A federal agency shrinks the area to be considered for commercial wind energy projects in the Gulf of Maine by roughly 27% following public comments and spatial analysis. (news release)
• Massachusetts’ new governor says the state should “really compete hard” and shouldn’t “lose any ground” in the offshore wind race to other states in the region. (Mass Live)
• National Grid and RWE Renewables begin surveying the 126,000-acre parcel in the New York Bight, which the companies paid a record-breaking sum to purchase in a 2021 lease auction. (Recharge News)

BUILDINGS: After hosting a startup’s successful carbon-capture pilot project in one of its New York City high rise buildings, a real estate firm orders five more systems for its other rental complexes. (Canary Media)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Pennsylvania’s transportation agency receives a $171.5 million federal grant to build out the state’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure. (Trib Live)
• A Connecticut town requires new developments with at least 30 parking spaces to install charging infrastructure at 10% of spots. (New Haven Register)
• A Boston newspaper takes a 400-mile New England road trip in an electric vehicle to test how easy it is to find chargers. (Boston Globe)
• A Connecticut police department uses asset forfeiture funds to bankroll a pilot of two electric cruisers. (Hartford Courant)

GRID: In New York, a Long Island town schedules a public meeting to discuss a proposed 60 MW lithium-ion battery storage development — a project the local fire department opposes over safety concerns. (North Fork, NY Patch)

CLIMATE:
• Massachusetts farmers say they struggle to handle the side effects of climate change, like unpredictable precipitation and drought; one farmer said the state’s weather is now more like New Jersey’s. (CommonWealth Magazine)
• A study involving several New England institutions finds that rising temperatures cause salt marshes to lose their carbon sequestration ability. (Inside Climate News)
• Climate change and a La Niña weather pattern are causing New York to see very little snow this winter. (NBC New York)
• In a step (back) in time, chimney sweeps in New Hampshire say business is booming as more people turn to wood fires to heat their homes. (NHPR)

SOLAR:
• A coastal Rhode Island town’s council president wants to explore siting a solar array on a closed municipal landfill. (What’s Up NewP)
• A southern Maine town will soon review a draft solar development ordinance drawn up by local officials during a one-year new project moratorium. (Advertiser Democrat)

TRANSPORTATION:
• New York City and Boston drivers lose more time to traffic than most other cities in the world, according to a report by a transportation analytics firm. (Boston Herald)
• Burlington, Vermont, eliminates parking spot requirements for new buildings, a measure intended to lower both housing costs and carbon emissions. (NBC 5)

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Bridget Reed Morawski

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.