OFFSHORE WIND: A federal marine mammal commission says offshore wind development and operations aren’t responsible for recent whale deaths along the East Coast. (Asbury Park Press)

ALSO:
• Avangrid seeks “price relief” on a Nantucket wind farm and a Maine power line — and “price flexibility” in future procurements to account for economic shifts. (CommonWealth Magazine)
• Vineyard Wind trials a Massachusetts company’s whale detection software powered by artificial intelligence on vessels carrying construction materials. (Bloomberg)
• Maine’s utility commission works to draft a power purchase contract for a 144 MW floating offshore wind project. (Maine Public Radio)

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GRID: A New Jersey township will soon vote on a coal-fired power plant redevelopment plan that includes constructing a substation for Ocean Wind I. (Press of Atlantic City)

SOLAR:
• A New Jersey legislative committee advances clean energy bills, including a 50% funding increase to the state’s planned community solar program and a distributed energy-powered electric vehicle charging stations pilot. (RTO Insider, subscription)
• A Maine town sets a March date to vote on whether to instate a 180-day moratorium on new solar projects. (Courier-Gazette)
• A New York town uses a state grant to install a solar and battery system to power its streetlights at a park. (news release)

CLIMATE:
• The first climate action manager of Buffalo, New York, discusses the challenges the city will face to plan and execute mitigation strategies. (Buffalo News)
• A lack of snow and warmer temperatures may have helped spur a rare wintertime tornado in New Jersey this week. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• A popular Maine smelt fishing site open since 1991 will stay closed this winter because of thin ice and mild conditions. (WMTW)

HYDROPOWER: An electric vehicle charging equipment company says it has installed what it says is “one of the world’s first” hydro-powered electric vehicle chargers. (electrek)

PIPELINE: A pipeline developer argues in court that it deserves an extension to build a New York pipeline because it spent years fighting lawsuits from environmental groups. (Law 360)

COMMENTARY: New Hampshire’s consumer advocate writes that the state should look to Maine’s power procurement practices to bring down its default service rate. (In-Depth NH)

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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.