Federal report says offshore wind work not a threat to whales

WIND: A NOAA Fisheries analysis says pile-driving work on the Vineyard Wind project is unlikely to pose a threat to whales or other marine life, but does expect some sea turtles will be vulnerable to vessel strikes. (State House News Service)

ALSO:

• Fishing groups stage a floating protest of the Vineyard Wind project, with a protest leader criticizing ​“the industrialization of our oceans” he says is a threat to fisheries. (New Bedford Light)
• While New Hampshire’s outgoing Republican governor, Chris Sununu, has been supportive of offshore wind, the candidates to replace him are divided along party lines. (New Hampshire Bulletin)

OIL & GAS:

• Northeast states are leading the way in pursuing compensation from oil companies for economic damages from climate change. (Stateline)
• The city of Baltimore sues natural gas producers in federal court, accusing the companies of conspiring to curb production in order to raise prices. (Reuters)
• Pennsylvania launches a new apprenticeship program to train workers to plug abandoned oil and gas wells. (Tribune-Democrat)

GRID:

• Federal data shows electricity generation from fossil fuels spiked during heat waves in New England this summer, with natural gas providing 61% of capacity on June 22. (Energy Information Administration)
• Calpine says it will pursue more natural gas generation in Pennsylvania and Ohio in response to high prices in PJM Interconnection’s recent capacity auction. (Power Engineering)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• A New York official acknowledges challenges with the state’s rollout of electric school buses, but says districts should still start now to prepare for the transition. (WHEC)
• Rhode Island’s transportation department will build more than 200 electric vehicle charging stations with help from a $15 million federal grant. (What’s Up Newp)

UTILITIES: A hearing examiner’s report supports a Maine utility’s effort to avoid state regulatory review of its parent company’s acquisition by Iberdrola. (Portland Press Herald)

OVERSIGHT: Consumer and environmental groups push back on the New Hampshire PUC’s plan to introduce stricter requirements for groups or individuals to intervene in regulatory proceedings. (RTO Insider, subscription)

SOLAR: A Pennsylvania school board unanimously rejects a plan for a solar array on district property that would have brought in $200,000 a year in revenue. (Lancaster Online)

WASTE TO ENERGY: Neighbors push Connecticut regulators to hold a public hearing on plans to allow a waste-to-energy plant to burn medical waste. (WFSB)

EQUITY: Philadelphia is holding a series of neighborhood-level workshops as it plans a city-specific environmental justice mapping tool. (WHYY)