Critics say Vermont governor’s climate cost estimates overblown

CLIMATE: Advocates say Vermont Gov. Phil Scott’s recent statements that a bill to increase the state’s renewable energy will cost ratepayers $1 billion are misleading and based on flawed modeling. (VT Digger)

OFFSHORE WIND:

• Two proposed New York offshore wind farm projects have been revived after the state awards contracts in a competitive auction. (Canary Media)
• A spokesperson for a group representing Maine lobstermen says they ​“have a lot of issues” with offshore wind despite developers’ efforts to work with them. (Spectrum News)

SOLAR:

• New York lawmakers hold a media event to highlight the loss of farmland to solar development, but cite a report that emphasizes suburban sprawl as a more significant threat. (CBS 6 Albany)
• Developers hold a ribbon-cutting for a community solar farm built atop a former gravel pit in Hampden, Maine. (Maine Public)

MINING: Maine’s environmental agency agrees to amend the state’s mining rules to allow open-pit excavation in certain scenarios, allowing testing to begin on a lithium deposit in the western part of the state. (Press-Herald, subscription)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• New York Republicans say the state’s timeline for electric school buses is too ambitious, pointing to a higher rate of failure for the new technology, including a district near Albany where 5 of 7 buses have been recalled. (Times-Union, subscription)
• New York City opens its first public charging station for e-bikes, aimed at providing a safe location for delivery workers after a spate of fires blamed on faulty batteries. (Streetsblog)
• New Hampshire’s Department of Transportation awards $2.8 million to install electric vehicle chargers in four locations, including along Interstate 93. (New Hampshire Bulletin)
• Vermont Public Power Supply Authority is working on a partnership that will enable off-peak charging rates for electric vehicles. (WCAX)

TRANSPORTATION: Residents of upper Manhattan push for a residential parking permit system amid concerns that New York’s proposed congestion pricing for the city’s central business district will encourage drivers to leave cars in their neighborhoods. (Gothamist)

TECHNOLOGY: Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey announces a $1 billion initiative to attract and retain climate tech businesses to the state. (MassLive)

GEOTHERMAL: Yale University meets with community members to share plans for a geothermal heating and cooling system for the campus’s science building. (New Haven Independent)

WASTE-TO-ENERGY: Advocates rally in Maryland to support a bill that would end state subsidies for waste-to-energy plants. (WMAR)

COMMENTARY: A member of Maryland’s climate commission says oil companies – not citizens – should be responsible for the billions of dollars local governments need to adapt infrastructure to climate change. (Maryland Matters)