Activists say New York pipeline defeat is just the beginning

PIPELINES: New York environmental activists say they will continue working to end gas pipeline expansions in the state, saying “the fight has shifted” after the defeat of the Williams Pipeline project. (City Limits)

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WIND:

• Maine utility commissioners restart the bidding process for a 1 GW wind farm and high-voltage power line in a northern county; unsuccessful pricing negotiations ended an earlier deal. (Maine Public Radio)
• Developing the East Coast’s offshore wind industry could require up to 49,000 workers, according to a Massachusetts economic development alliance. (Salem News)

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SOLAR:

• A New York lawmaker wants the state to reconsider whether the location of a proposed 125 MW solar project, mostly on a former power plant site, encroaches too much on adjacent “prime” farmland. (Lockport Union-Sun & Journal)
• Developers wrap up construction of a 1.7 MW solar install with 1.2 MWh of storage to cover almost a fifth of a Connecticut aerospace company’s power needs. (news release)
• Federal officials work through a western Maine environmental nonprofit to distribute $2.9 million for locally owned community solar projects. (Advertiser Democrat)

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HYDROGEN: The energy firms looking to build a $1.5 billion hydrogen fuel facility at Pittsburgh’s airport say they can’t do so unless federal clean energy tax credits include coal mine methane projects. (Associated Press)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• A new ISO New England report says Vermonters could purchase 120,000 electric vehicles in the next decade, applying further pressure on the power grid. (news release)
• Verizon completes a $4.4 million plan to electrify its Rhode Island fleet , purchasing dozens of electric vans and trucks and installing dozens of level-2 chargers. (PBN)
• New York City’s transit agency is using $90 million in federal funds to add 60 new electric buses to routes in Brooklyn, Staten Island and Queens. (Gothamist)
• In New Hampshire, Dartmouth College installs a solar-tracking electric vehicle charger that can service four cars at a time. (NBC 5)

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BATTERIES: New York’s Staten Island currently has 13 lithium-ion battery energy storage sites under development, according to a state database of projects receiving incentives. (SI Live)

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GRID:

• An open letter written by offshore wind industry leaders outlines why firms think regulators need to rethink the policy preference for a mesh-style transmission network given equipment availability. (Utility Dive)
• Some observers say Vermont Electric Power Co., the owner of the state’s power lines, should outline where it wants to see renewable energy projects developed to help smooth out the planning process. (Rutland Herald)

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WORKFORCE: Massachusetts and a social impact investment firm want to create a climate tech workforce training loan program to educate the 30,000 workers needed to achieve the state’s climate goals, planning to raise $10 million in funds to do so. (WHDH)

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FOSSIL FUELS: Con Edison says a roughly 4,400-gallon oil spill into the Hudson River last month was due to a failed piping component and cracks in the floor of the power station. (W42St)

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