Gas pipeline reinstated without climate consideration

NATURAL GAS: Federal regulators reinstate their approval of a natural gas pipeline expansion in Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, declining to assess the possible impact of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the project. (Utility Dive)

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OFFSHORE WIND: President Trump’s anti-wind executive order will likely pause three of the four offshore wind developments in progress off the coast of New Jersey, experts say. (New Jersey Monitor)

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TRANSMISSION:

• Massachusetts residents will pay an additional $500 million to cover the costs of construction delays on a transmission project importing hydropower from Canada. (Portland Press Herald, subscription)
• Maine ratepayers could be on the hook for $40 million to help pay for transmission line upgrades in New Hampshire that Maine’s consumer advocate says are unnecessary. (Maine Public)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Vermont is the latest state to impose a fee on owners of electric vehicles to make up for lost gas tax revenue, an approach that has been implemented in at least 39 states. (New York Times)

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‍GRID: Public utility regulators in Pennsylvania gather ideas for how to stabilize the state’s ​“precarious” electric supply as the grid faces rising demand from data centers and growing risks from extreme weather. (Philadelphia Inquirer)

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‍NUCLEAR: New Hampshire’s Seabrook Station nuclear power plant was not damaged in an earthquake that shook New England yesterday. (InDepthNH)

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‍RENEWABLES: Plans are moving forward for a renewable energy generation project on a former Maryland dairy farm owned by the U.S. Navy, though some neighbors are concerned about the possible disturbance of agricultural land. (Capital Gazette, subscription)

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‍HYDRO: A judge’s ruling does nothing to answer questions about the environmental violations an aging hydropower dam in Maine must resolve before it can receive needed permits to continue operations. (Maine Public)

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‍TRANSIT: New York City launches a program allowing food delivery workers to trade in gas mopeds and e-bikes that are not certified for fire safety for new certified e-bikes, as part of an attempt to reduce the fire risks posed by uncertified batteries. (NBC New York)

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‍ELECTRIFICATION:

• Plans are underway for an all-electric version of the cog locomotive that climbs New Hampshire’s Mt. Washington, currently burning biodiesel. (Concord Monitor)
• A stadium in Rhode Island will be the first fully electric soccer arena in the country when it hosts its first game in May. (Engineering News-Record, subscription)

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COMMENTARY:

• Maryland legislators should pass pending bills that would require fossil fuel companies to pay for the damages caused by climate change, and then use that money to pursue renewable energy and climate resilience projects, says a climate advocate. (Maryland Matters)
• Maine should accelerate its efforts to adopt clean energy, despite some elected officials’ attempts to blame solar power for rising electricity prices, says a former state legislator. (Portland Press Herald, subscription)

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