OFFSHORE WIND: Long Island business owners celebrate securing a piece of the almost $4 billion in contracts related to New York offshore wind farms, with one calling it the “opportunity of a lifetime.” (Newsday)

ALSO: The South Fork wind farm’s submarine cable installation work began in early February and is slated to conclude in April. (news release)

GRID:
• New York regulators approve 62 upstate transmission upgrade projects worth $4.4 billion to relieve bottlenecks stalling clean energy projects, work that will be completed between 2024 and 2030. (news release)
• A radio program explains how Vermonters can both be serviced by a utility powered by a large amount of renewable energy while attached to a fossil fuel-heavy grid. (Vermont Public Radio)
• Southeastern Pennsylvania utility PECO says its grid modernization and storm hardening projects have reduced power outages to their lowest number in the company’s history. (news release)

BUILDINGS: Massachusetts’ governor announces a new $50 million grant program to retrofit low-to-moderate-income homes with heat pumps, electrical upgrades, rooftop solar panels and building envelope improvements. (WBUR)

SOLAR:
• A new bill aims to raise Maryland’s residential clean energy grant from $1,000 to $5,000 to bolster new jobs and rooftop solar projects. (news release)
• Some Connecticut solar developers say they’re seeing increased residential solar interest amid high power prices. (WTNH)
• In Maine, Knox County commissioners unanimously vote to authorize a .5 MW solar farm at a regional airport after years of discussion. (WABI)

CLIMATE:
• Climate change threatens New Jersey’s cranberry crop through extreme weather and temperatures. (NJ Spotlight)
• Rising temperatures are ending traditional New England winters, driving fear that the region’s ecosystems, economies and heritage will be lost. (Boston Globe)

NUCLEAR: Federal officials will grant $344,000 to a New York county still struggling from the economic impact of the Indian Point nuclear plant closure two years ago. (LoHud.com)

OIL & GAS: New York utility regulators approve a settlement agreement with a power-and-gas utility over improper maintenance and safety procedures that lead to a gas leak and fire at a Brewster home. (Southeast-Brewster, NY Patch)

COAL: Pennsylvania environmentalists ask Westmoreland County commissioners to oppose a local coal mine expansion proposal. (Trib Live)

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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.