BUILDINGS: Massachusetts’ heat pumps were put to the test this past weekend amid frigid temperatures, with most people reporting continued functionality but some saying the temperature couldn’t get high enough. (Boston Globe)
ALSO:
• In New York City, an energy-efficient, solar-powered apartment building reserved for low-income residents is reflective of the city’s desire to fight both climate change and inequity. (Canary Media)
• Vermont bans the sale of compact fluorescent lamp bulbs, becoming the first state to do so. (The Hill)
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POLLUTION: A Brooklyn cruise terminal is the lone East Coast port allowing ships to tap into the grid, but only about a third are able to do so, with the rest polluting the surrounding area with diesel exhaust. (The City)
CLIMATE:
• A new federal report shows that seven Northeast states saw their hottest January temperatures ever recorded last month. (The Hill)
• Democrats now hold complete control of Maryland’s government and hope to use that power to push forward policies to hit net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. (E&E News, subscription)
OFFSHORE WIND: Questions arise over the future of a planned offshore wind cable factory in Somerset, Massachusetts, as town officials and the company fight over unpaid fines from earlier site uses. (CommonWealth Magazine)
OIL & GAS: Maine environmental regulators work to finalize new rules around South Portland oil tank emissions monitoring, including requirements around tank insulation, new equipment and quarterly inspections. (WMTW)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Vermont transit officials ask state legislators to instate an electric vehicle mileage fee to replace the tax revenue lost from the state’s gas taxes. (WCAX)
• Maine lawmakers consider adding e-bikes to the vehicles eligible for rebates through Efficiency Maine. (Sun Journal)
TRANSIT:
• Acadia National Park wants to raise entrance fees to better fund a fare-free, seasonal bus system in Mount Desert Island, Maine, that mitigates tourist traffic. (Bangor Daily News)
• Ulster County, New York’s decision in October to make bus rides fare-free caused ridership to jump 38% in the last quarter of 2022 compared to the year-prior period, local officials say. (Daily Freeman)
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GRID: A federal study finds PJM interconnection costs have consistently risen throughout the past decades and are too high for renewable resources, but an interconnection planning director says the study included some unnecessary data. (RTO Insider, subscription)
UTILITIES:
• Supporters of a Maine utility takeover plan to sue the state to have a measure opposing their own referendum removed from the November ballot. (Bangor Daily News)
• Although a northern Maine utility analyzed pricing trends before signing a five-year contract at 5.9 cents/kWh, its leaders say they got lucky in securing such a low rate before Russia invaded Ukraine. (Bangor Daily News)
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