OIL & GAS: Rhode Island’s mandate to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 kicks off conversations about the future of the state’s gas distribution sector, which heats about half of Rhode Islanders’ homes. (Energy News Network)

ALSO: The expensive task of remediating a former riverside steam-and-diesel plant in northern Maine hinders a town’s plan to redevelop its waterfront for residential use. (Bangor Daily News)

EFFICIENCY: In Maine, a quasi-state agency conducts a demonstration project that may be the first in the country to study how well standalone heat pumps perform in mobile houses. (Portland Press Herald)

CLIMATE:
• A new analysis finds New Jersey property tax assessments may fall by $6.3 billion by 2050 compared with 2000 because of sea level rise. (NJ Spotlight)
• Although official numbers won’t be published for months, harvesters along Maine’s coast say they saw a poor wild blueberry yield this year because of drought. (Maine Monitor)
• In New York City, a temporary tent city being developed for asylum seekers in a federally recognized flood zone is inundated with several inches of water, raising concern about the safety of those who will be housed there. (Gothamist)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: The New York Power Authority says it plans to more quickly install electric vehicle fast chargers throughout the state to keep up with demand and the state’s own rollout goals. (Newsday)

TRANSIT:
• A Delaware startup wants to take over Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor operations, claiming they can get more trains on the tracks while eliminating price and speed discrimination. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• A new film touts a Philly bus route as a way to both physically connect the city’s Latino neighborhoods and cultivate a sense of community for new residents. (Next City)

SOLAR: In New York, a Washington County planning agency kicks the approval of a proposed 20 MW solar array on agricultural land back to local officials in Greenwich to make the decision. (Post Star)

BIOMASS: New Hampshire’s governor says he wouldn’t support bringing biomass power back to the state amid energy resource diversification discussions. (WMUR)

PIPELINES: Pennsylvania environmental officials seek public comments on a planned 36-mile expansion of a gas pipeline in Luzerne and Monroe counties. (Pocono Record)

UTILITIES: New Hampshire utility regulators approve Unitil’s steep supply rate hike request that will result in a typical customer paying almost 77% more than they currently do. (In-Depth NH)

COMMENTARY: A Maine Audubon naturalist writes that while wind turbines certainly kill birds, other threats to flighted fauna are much more harmful. (Portland Press Herald)

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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.