FOSSIL FUELS: A real estate firm buys a retired coal plant near Pittsburgh to decommission and environmentally remediate it for future, unspecified development. (WTAE)

ALSO:
• In response to NJ Transit’s plan to build an emergency gas power plant, some environmentalists call for New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy to instate a new fossil fuel-fired plant moratorium in the state. (NJ Advance Media)
• New Jersey’s municipal utility hires a firm to decommission its long-disused coal plant. (Daily Journal)

SOLAR: A two-year federal tariff exemption for solar panels should speed development of Maine’s pending solar projects, an industry observer says. (News Center Maine)

LABOR: A startup in New York City’s Brooklyn borough hires and trains residents living in neighborhoods with significant gun violence for clean energy careers, like solar panel installations, energy audits and drafting clean energy building plans. (Green Biz)

CLEAN ENERGY: New Jersey utility officials set aside funds for almost four dozen municipalities to design equitable community energy plans. (news release)

BUILDINGS:
• The operator of the Boston area’s almost 90-year-old district steam system plans to transition to electric boilers and heat pumps to minimize its use of on-site gas units. (Canary Media)
• A Massachusetts city authorizes a property assessed clean energy program to help make energy infrastructure upgrades to local buildings. (Boston Globe)

TRANSIT: Councilmembers in Washington, D.C., consider a tax on large vehicles, including some SUVs and pick-up trucks, in the city as they seek to reduce both pedestrian fatalities and transportation emissions. (Axios)

OFFSHORE WIND: Two federal agencies are tagging whales using drones to gather information that researchers hope will shed light on potential offshore wind farm impacts. (news release)

AFFORDABILITY:
• In New York, Ulster County’s leader joins calls for a state investigation into New York State Electric & Gas’ rate hike request. (Daily Freeman)
• Given the current cost of gasoline and car rentals, tourist accommodations in Portland, Maine, and New York’s Catskills region are among hotels nationwide shuttling guests around to minimize their travel expenses. (Boston Globe)

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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.