Governors vote to make Delaware River Basin fracking ban permanent

FRACKING: Amid legal challenges to a 2010 fracking moratorium, the Delaware River Basin Commission votes to make the ban permanent, making a large portion of the Marcellus Shale off-limits to drilling. (Philadelphia Inquirer)

ALSO:
• A commission member representing the federal government abstains from voting, citing ​“additional time needed to coordinate with the new administration.” (E&E News, subscription)
• New Jersey advocates say the decision is at odds with a recent commission vote to approve a natural gas export terminal, which they vow to continue fighting. (NJ Spotlight)

PIPELINES: Pennsylvania regulators order Sunoco to pay $497,000 in fines for violations related to the Mariner East 2 pipeline. (The Sentinel)

EQUITY: A Maryland bill would ban new power plants from being built in a majority-Black county outside Washington D.C. that is already home to a large number of industrial sites. (Maryland Matters)

HYDROGEN: Fuel cell manufacturer Plug Power announces plans for a $290 million hydrogen production facility in western New York. (Albany Times Union)

WIND: Connecticut’s attorney general announces an investigation into a $700,000 payment made by the state’s port authority to the firm hired to find an operator for the State Pier, which is eyed as a future offshore wind hub. (The Day)

TRANSMISSION:
• A Maine lawmaker sponsors a bill to guarantee community benefits from transmission lines, saying it ​“ensures that Maine ratepayers won’t be a cheap date” for future projects. (WGME)
• Construction begins on an $854 million transmission line in upstate New York that aims to improve access to renewable energy resources. (news release)

SOLAR: A developer completes a 1.3 MW solar carport project at an Ikea store in Baltimore. (Solar Power World)

UTILITIES:
• A new program will help New Hampshire residents with unpaid utility bills. (Associated Press)
• New Hampshire lawmakers consider a bill to strengthen consumer protections related to third-party energy suppliers. (Daily Energy Insider)
• An upstate New York utility will be the first to pilot a new ​“Smart Operations Center” aimed to improve grid reliability. (news release)

TRANSPORTATION: A Massachusetts bill would increase the gasoline tax 12 cents and eliminate transit fares in the Boston area. (CommonWealth Magazine)

DIVESTMENT: Harvard University reports it has purged the majority of fossil-fuel investments from its endowment portfolio, following a pledge made last year. (Harvard Magazine)

COMMENTARY:
• A Connecticut advocate says a pipeline to supply the proposed Killingly natural gas plant poses a threat to wildlife and water quality, while a law student says the plant will provide no benefit to state residents. (CT Mirror)
• A Maine resident says a lack of fairness is driving opposition to the Clean Energy Connect project, while a forester touts the jobs the project will create. (Kennebec Journal)