Maine proposal to limit future gas lines faces pushback

GAS: In Maine, a proposal to curtail future gas line expansions has drawn criticism from Republican lawmakers, gas utilities and trade groups over consumer affordability and investment concerns. (Portland Press Herald)

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ALSO: New York lawmakers want to end a law that requires utilities to connect new homes, businesses and industrial facilities to gas lines if they’re within 100 feet of an existing line. (Newsday)

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BUILDINGS: In New York City, the final rules for building emission reduction policies at the state and local level continue to allow for wood-burning fireplaces and stoves, despite their emissions intensity. (Gothamist)

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GRID: Grid tech startup NineDot Energy has raised $225 million in equity capital to develop community-scale battery storage projects in small, difficult to develop spaces in New York City. (Canary Media)

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CLEAN ENERGY: A year after his swearing-in, Pennsylvania’s governor has yet to announce how the state will achieve his campaign goal of having 30% of all energy sales stem from renewable sources by 2030. (Capital & Main)

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REGULATION:

• Vermont’s governor appoints Ed McNamara — a former lawyer for the state’s natural resources agency — to chair the Vermont Public Utility Commission. (VT Digger)
• Pennsylvania regulators decide to open up a public comment period for ratepayers on a proposed $17 million settlement with PPL Electric over widespread overbilling in 2023. (Lancaster Online)

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NUCLEAR: The developers of a proposed data center want to build on the same site as the Millstone nuclear power plant in Connecticut and use electricity from it, but some critics have environmental, safety and flooding concerns. (CT Mirror)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A University of Delaware research team is working on new standards to help vehicle manufacturers adopt Tesla’s charging standard and make it easier to integrate vehicle-to-grid technologies. (Delaware News Journal)

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SOLAR:

• After five years of planning, a Pennsylvania manufacturer installs enough rooftop solar to power 88 homes, tapping into a federal agriculture grant. (New Castle News)
• A Massachusetts town identifies potential locations for solar installations, but struggles to attract project bids at one site and runs into structural issues at another. (Daily Hampshire Gazette)

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CLIMATE:

• A flood-prone New Jersey borough can no longer tap into funds to elevate their homes; instead, the state is telling them to either apply for a buy-out and retreat or run the risk of further flooding. (NJ Advance Media)
• New York could soon become the latest state to require climate-related lessons within the school curriculum. (New York Times)

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OFFSHORE WIND:

• A New Jersey Republican representative claims credit for the cancellation of two Ørsted offshore wind farms at an unsanctioned public “hearing,” telling observers to “keep up the fight” and “sue these people.” (E&E News)
• Dewey Beach, Delaware, pushes off a vote on whether to join a benefits program offered by US Wind, acceptance of which would mean no further objections to the developer’s nearby offshore wind project. (WRDE)

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