Eversource transmission line proposal worries New England advocates

GRID: New England public advocates say they’re concerned with the structure and cost of Eversource’s proposed $384 million transmission line upgrade project, which they say is overkill given that much of the line is still in good shape. (NHPR)

FOSSIL FUELS: A Bitcoin miner in upstate New York sues the state after being denied an air permit renewal for the gas plant powering its operations. (Gothamist)

SOLAR:

• A new compensation proposal for net metering generators is the subject of several hearings this week by New Hampshire utility regulators. (NHPR)
• A Connecticut solar developer finishes two community solar projects in Maine that have 12.6 MW of collective capacity. (news release)
• New Hampshire utility Unitil breaks ground on the state’s largest solar project, an over 11,000-panel array set to power roughly 1,200 homes. (WMUR)

BATTERIES: A Hydro-Québec subsidiary says its first utility-scale battery energy and storage system in the U.S., a 3 MW facility in Troy, Vermont, is now operational. (news release)

BUILDINGS: New York’s governor is ​“facing pressure on all sides” amid final rulemaking that aims to set emissions standards for refrigerants in commercial refrigerators, residential heat pumps and chillers over the next decade. (E&E News, subscription)

BIOENERGY: In Pennsylvania, a renewable natural gas plant at a Bethlehem landfill officially opens, with enough capacity to heat 14,000 homes. (Lehigh Valley News)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• A convenience store in Pennsylvania’s Beaver County will host the area’s next electric vehicle charging station, with project developers receiving roughly $627,000 in National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure grants for the work. (The Times)
• A New York school district schedules a public meeting to hear concerns ahead of a public vote on its electric school bus transition plan. (WGRZ)
• A new AAA Northeast survey finds that only around 14% of respondents in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island ​“definitely” want their next vehicle to be electric, while 42% are ​“not interested at all.” (PBN)

AFFORDABILITY: Connecticut’s U.S. House delegation wants the state’s utility commission to help alleviate financial pressure on residential ratepayers facing high utility bills. (Hartford Courant)

POLITICS: A New Hampshire newspaper details how the state’s four gubernatorial candidates have described their future climate and energy policies. (New Hampshire Bulletin)

COMMENTARY:

• A Baltimore columnist writes that companies looking to use electric ferries to increase tourism along the Eastern Shore should think bigger and make them a viable commuting option. (Baltimore Sun)
• A southwestern Pennsylvania transit nonprofit’s deputy director explains how switching from the state’s ​“ridiculous” mileage self-reporting tax process for electric vehicle drivers to a flat registration fee is a sign of good bipartisanship governance. (Trib Live)