Eversource transmission line proposal worries New England advocates

GRID: New England public advocates say they’re concerned with the structure and cost of Eversource’s proposed $384 million transmission line upgrade project, which they say is overkill given that much of the line is still in good shape. (NHPR)

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FOSSIL FUELS: A Bitcoin miner in upstate New York sues the state after being denied an air permit renewal for the gas plant powering its operations. (Gothamist)

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SOLAR:

• A new compensation proposal for net metering generators is the subject of several hearings this week by New Hampshire utility regulators. (NHPR)
• A Connecticut solar developer finishes two community solar projects in Maine that have 12.6 MW of collective capacity. (news release)
• New Hampshire utility Unitil breaks ground on the state’s largest solar project, an over 11,000-panel array set to power roughly 1,200 homes. (WMUR)

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BATTERIES: A Hydro-Québec subsidiary says its first utility-scale battery energy and storage system in the U.S., a 3 MW facility in Troy, Vermont, is now operational. (news release)

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BUILDINGS: New York’s governor is “facing pressure on all sides” amid final rulemaking that aims to set emissions standards for refrigerants in commercial refrigerators, residential heat pumps and chillers over the next decade. (E&E News, subscription)

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BIOENERGY: In Pennsylvania, a renewable natural gas plant at a Bethlehem landfill officially opens, with enough capacity to heat 14,000 homes. (Lehigh Valley News)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• A convenience store in Pennsylvania’s Beaver County will host the area’s next electric vehicle charging station, with project developers receiving roughly $627,000 in National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure grants for the work. (The Times)
• A New York school district schedules a public meeting to hear concerns ahead of a public vote on its electric school bus transition plan. (WGRZ)
• A new AAA Northeast survey finds that only around 14% of respondents in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island “definitely” want their next vehicle to be electric, while 42% are “not interested at all.” (PBN)

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AFFORDABILITY: Connecticut’s U.S. House delegation wants the state’s utility commission to help alleviate financial pressure on residential ratepayers facing high utility bills. (Hartford Courant)

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POLITICS: A New Hampshire newspaper details how the state’s four gubernatorial candidates have described their future climate and energy policies. (New Hampshire Bulletin)

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COMMENTARY:

• A Baltimore columnist writes that companies looking to use electric ferries to increase tourism along the Eastern Shore should think bigger and make them a viable commuting option. (Baltimore Sun)
• A southwestern Pennsylvania transit nonprofit’s deputy director explains how switching from the state’s “ridiculous” mileage self-reporting tax process for electric vehicle drivers to a flat registration fee is a sign of good bipartisanship governance. (Trib Live)

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