CT’s governor withdraws gasoline vehicle ban for future study

Editor’s note: An item in yesterday’s edition incorrectly phrased a lawsuit’s accusation as fact. It should’ve noted that a car dealership sued a Maine power utility for allegedly violating its interconnection agreement. 

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Connecticut’s governor rescinds his plan to ban gas-fueled car sales in his state by 2035 because of insufficient support, but says the legislature will study the idea next year. (Hartford Business Journal, Hartford Courant)

ALSO: As more New York City landlords ban electric bikes on their properties over combustion fears, tenants are left wondering where to safely store them. (Gothamist)

WIND: Two Rhode Island preservationist groups sue the federal government over the approval of the South Fork and Revolution Wind farms, claiming the projects will ruin the view from the historic coastal mansions and other properties under their care. (Providence Journal)

GRID: Federal energy officials grant almost $24 million to New York to help update its grid for more clean energy transmission and climate resilience. (news release)

SOLAR:

• State officials reject a developer’s latest attempt to build a 125 MW solar project at a former coal- and oil-fueled power plant in western New York, calling the new application incomplete. (Lockport Union-Sun & Journal)
• A New York town board unanimously votes to amend its solar ordinance and ban battery energy storage systems paired with utility-scale renewable energy projects. (Daily Gazette)
• In Pennsylvania, a new bill with bipartisan support would create a statewide community solar program to help those who can’t install solar themselves still tap into the resource. (Beaver County Times)
• An upcoming conference in Baltimore will focus on the ​“delicate balance” of solar development and agricultural support. (Herald-Mail)

TRANSIT: An environmental nonprofits’ recent report card highly ranks many New England states’ clean transportation efforts, but transit advocates say they’re skeptical that Rhode Island earned an 11th-place ranking. (Rhode Island Current)

BUILDINGS:

• A Massachusetts community development organization receives just over $2 million in state energy retrofit funds to redevelop a former nursing home into affordable housing. (The Reminder)
• University of Connecticut students want a more sustainable campus, but the college says it would take a long time to benefit from the investment in larger-scale clean energy projects. (Hartford Business Journal)
• A joint study by the Connecticut Green Bank and Yale University finds that clean energy financing coupled with federal and local financial assistance are needed to develop green resilience hubs powered by renewable energy. (Yale Daily News)