Connecticut lawmaker wants term limits for utility regulators

OVERSIGHT: A Connecticut lawmaker proposes term limits for state utility regulators, saying ​“the longer you serve there, the more you hobnob with the people you regulate.” (CT Insider)

CLEAN ENERGY:
• New Jersey postpones public hearings on an update to the state’s clean energy plan, saying more time is needed to model economic and environmental impacts. (NJ.com)
• A report notes that interconnection costs in PJM have increased significantly, and are ​“surprisingly high” for solar and storage projects. (Utility Dive)

WIND:
• A radio segment explores how a small number of anti-wind groups were able to push a false narrative that offshore wind development was causing whale deaths in the mid-Atlantic, and why some news organizations went along with it. (WNYC)
• A floating offshore wind pilot project in Maine clears a key federal permitting hurdle. (Maritime Executive)

UTILITIES: Dozens of bills have been filed in the Connecticut legislature to address high energy costs, as a key lawmaker says colleagues need to ​“do this right and not react emotionally.” (CT Mirror)

EFFICIENCY: A clean energy advocate expresses concern that New Hampshire regulators’ investigation into efficiency programs could undermine future efforts. (NHPR)

ELECTRIFICATION:
• Advocates say heat pump technology continues to improve and can be a key climate solution in cold-weather states like Pennsylvania. (WESA)
• New York City Mayor Eric Adams defends gas stoves as state Republicans call Gov. Kathy Hochul a ​“hypocrite” for using gas appliances in her own home as the state weighs a ban on new natural gas connections; meanwhile, experts continue to advise that those who can afford it should switch to induction stoves. (Gothamist, New York Post, ProPublica)
• Maine U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree calls for an investigation into a gas industry group that allegedly paid TV personalities to promote propane without disclosing their funding source. (E&E News, subscription)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: More Massachusetts schools are adopting electric buses with help from new financing models and government incentives. (WBUR)

SOLAR:
• A New York farmer says solar power can be a more profitable use of farmland as labor costs go up, and notes that unlike other types of development, solar arrays can be easily removed. (Batavian)
• A 1 MW solar array goes online at a New Jersey warehouse, offsetting more than half of the facility’s electricity use. (PV Magazine)

COMMENTARY:
• Two physicians say the advancement of three energy projects in Massachusetts environmental justice communities perpetuates structural racism and ignores recently passed protections. (CommonWealth Magazine)
• A journalist writes that Maine’s dependence on imported fossil fuels means ​“we’re not as self-reliant as we may think we are.” (Sun Journal)
• A climate advocate says a proposed hydrogen hub in Pennsylvania is another ​“heavily subsidized economic development shiny object” that will fail to deliver on its promise. (PennLive)