Appeals court says Connecticut’s climate suit can be heard in state court

LEGAL: A federal appeals court rejects Exxon Mobil’s bid to have the climate endangerment lawsuit that Connecticut brought against it heard in federal court. (E&E News)

TRANSIT:

• Plans to redevelop a former Philadelphia refinery into a life sciences and warehousing hub are criticized for a lack of transit-oriented development that all but ensures most workers drive there. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• Officials throughout Massachusetts question why mandatory slowdowns are in place on a Boston-area subway line extension when service only began a year ago. (Boston Globe)
• With around 30% of city residents car-free, Trenton, New Jersey, launches a low-cost community microtransit program to help folks get around via electric mini shuttle. (Trentonian)
• Rhode Island’s transit agency extends a fare-free bus program for another month, without federal funding, so agency planners can finish data collection and inform riders of a return to payment. (Rhode Island Current)

UTILITIES:

• Chesapeake Utilities agrees to acquire a Florida gas utility for $932 million, a deal that significantly expands the Delaware-based utility’s Florida presence. (Delaware Business Times)
• Citing public health concerns under the status quo, a large Maine nurses union signals its support to takeover the state’s investor-owned utilities and form a public power authority. (Maine Morning Star)

PIPELINES: Pennsylvania regulators want the public’s opinion on a proposed settlement with a natural gas operator that would see the company pay a $100,000 civil penalty for its role in a 2020 house explosion. (Observer-Reporter)

HEAT: New Jersey lacks heat-related workforce protections at the state level, leaving thousands of farmworkers vulnerable as experts predict heat-related deaths will rise in the next 30 years. (WNYC)

HYDROPOWER: In Pennsylvania, environmentalists praise the demolition of a former hydroelectric dam that impeded fish passage and recreation on the Susquehanna River. (Bay Journal)

BUILDINGS: Vermont officials rush to help residents whose heating sources were damaged during summer floods before the winter heating season begins. (NBC 5)

GRID: Rhode Island regulators authorize Rhode Island Energy to spend $153 million to replace hundreds of thousands of residential and commercial electricity meters with smarter, close-to-real-time models. (Providence Journal)

AFFORDABILITY:

• Maine utility regulators boost the budget of the state’s low-income energy assistance program for two years from $15 million to $22.5 million. (WMTW)
• State consumer advocates warn ISO New England and other energy planning officials that more coordination is needed to reduce the weight of transmission costs on ratepayers. (RTO Insider, subscription) 

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Lebanon, New Hampshire, seeks $5.2 million in federal funds to build dozens of public charging stations, a project that would exponentially increase the state’s total vehicle charging capacity. (Valley News)
• The University of Connecticut plans to install 18 new electric vehicle chargers, make repairs at 70 other stations, in addition to installing a hydrogen fuel dispenser and two large fuel cells. (news release)