Connecticut utilities blame regulators for credit downgrade

UTILITIES: S&P downgrades the credit rating of three Connecticut utilities, with executives blaming state regulators for rejecting rate increases as costs increase. (CT Insider)

ALSO: New Jersey lawmakers advance a bill that would require utilities to alert customers mid-month if their energy usage is unusually high. (New Jersey Monitor)

CLIMATE:

• Expressing concern for the state’s fossil fuel industries, two Pennsylvania lawmakers say they plan legislation to remove the state from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and require legislative approval for future agreements. (Indiana Gazette)
• The Biden administration urges the Supreme Court to reject efforts by fossil fuel companies to toss out state and municipal lawsuits seeking to hold them accountable for damages related to climate change. (E&E News, subscription)

OVERSIGHT: New Hampshire’s consumer advocate is backing legislation to clarify the authorities of the state’s Public Utilities Commission and its recently created Department of Energy. (New Hampshire Bulletin)

WIND: A labor leader says Maine should reach out to other states to help support a deepwater port for offshore wind construction, after multiple attempts to secure federal funds have failed. (Maine Public)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: New Jersey has surpassed 200,000 electric vehicle registrations, but an advocate says a lack of charging stations and shifting tax credits make it unlikely the state will hit its goal of 330,000 by next year. (NJ.com)

SOLAR:

• New York City’s public school district announces a plan to install 22.5 MW of solar across 72 buildings, the city’s largest solar project to date. (New York Daily News)
• A Boston hospital offers a ​“Clean Power Prescription,” passing along savings from the building’s solar array to reduce energy bills for low-income patients. (PV Magazine)
• A report finds the number of sites suitable for solar development has declined nearly 31% in Connecticut, 16% in Massachusetts, and 10% in New York. (PV Magazine)
• AT&T signs an agreement to be the ​“anchor” customer for four Maryland community solar projects. (news release)

COMMENTARY:

• The general manager of a Vermont utility says the company has plans to further accelerate electrification despite expected opposition from the federal government. (Utility Dive)
• Advocates say diversifying Pennsylvania’s grid with clean energy can improve winter reliability. (PennLive)