WILDFIRES: Air quality in some parts of the Northeast has hit code purple or maroon — the worst-possible levels — this morning, while code-red levels yesterday led officials from Washington, D.C. to Connecticut to warn residents against outdoor activities. (Washington Post, Associated Press)

ALSO:
• An “atmospheric traffic jam” is to blame for the lingering wildfire smoke in the Northeast, which could stick around New York City and threaten public health through Friday. (Gothamist)
• New Jersey’s governor warns that more extreme weather events will impact the region going forward unless more is done to mitigate climate change. (WNYC)
• An 82-acre wildfire that started Tuesday afternoon in Ocean County, New Jersey, has now been completely contained, state fire officials say. (6 ABC)

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OFFSHORE WIND: In New York, the developers of the four offshore wind farms ask state regulators to make price adjustments to their existing power purchase contracts amid financial viability concerns. (CommonWealth Magazine)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• A new American Lung Association report finds that a nationwide transition to zero-emission passenger vehicles would mean almost 3,300 fewer deaths in New Jersey every year; the same report found that widespread adoption could save the lives of hundreds of Mainers every year and eliminate thousands of asthma attacks. (NJ Advance Media, WMTW)
• A Pennsylvania senate committee advances a bill that would impose a $290 annual fee on electric passenger vehicle owners to pay for road and bridge upgrades. (Penn Live Patriot-News)

UTILITIES: A former New York Power Authority employee’s allegations of workplace discrimination by the man who is currently the agency’s acting leader raises questions about the authority’s treatment of Black employees. (Auburn Citizen)

CLIMATE: Right-wing groups organize and attend public meetings to fight updating New Jersey’s school curriculum to teach students about climate change. (Grist)

BIOENERGY: After eight years of planning and effort, a dairy farm in Ellington, Connecticut, begins operating a two-million-gallon methane digester to produce biogas. (New Haven Register)

SOLAR:
• A town and village in northern New York each receive $90,000 from the developer of a 240 MW solar farm to intervene in the process. (NNY360)
• As numerous developers eye projects in town, the board of Olean, New York, will consider a solar project moratorium at a public meeting later this month. (Olean Times Herald)
• A Maine legislative committee advances bills that would limit the size of solar projects in the state’s net-metering program, among other program adjustments. (Maine Public Radio)

BUILDINGS: Starting in July, New Jersey will restrict construction activities in flood-prone inland areas.  (NJ Advance Media)

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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.