Long Island offshore project facing headwinds

OFFSHORE WIND: Residents of a Long Island town sue after officials approve an easement for an underground cable to connect the South Fork offshore wind farm to a substation, and fishing groups say they have reached an impasse in negotiations with the project’s developer. (East Hampton Star, Providence Journal)

NUCLEAR: Supporters and detractors of continued subsidies for New Jersey’s nuclear plants square off in public hearings before state regulators who will determine if they should be continued. (NJ Spotlight)

SOLAR:
• A new report says solar generation in 2019 accounted for 4.3% of load in the New England grid, putting the region only behind California and ahead of its eastern counterparts. (PV Magazine)
• A Portsmouth, New Hampshire advocate is seeking a zoning change to allow solar farms of up to 5 acres within city limits. (Seacoast Online)
• A Connecticut synagogue will install a solar array as the first privately developed and financed commercial property assessed clean energy project. (news release)

EMISSIONS: An organization opposed to a Massachusetts compressor station is installing air monitors in several towns to identify toxins emitted into the communities. (Patriot-Ledger)

CLEAN ENERGY:
• Delaware Gov. John Carney is expected to sign a bill increasing the state’s renewable portfolio standard that Republicans say lacks consumer protections and environmentalists claim doesn’t go far enough. (Delaware Business Now)
• Burlington, Vermont will extend its clean energy incentives until the end of the year that promote heat pumps and other technologies to reduce emissions. (WAMC)

BIOFUEL: A Maine company successfully test-launches a rocket powered by biofuels, which it claims will be the first carbon-neutral vehicle to carry small payloads into space. (BBC News)

BIOMASS: A town near a proposed biomass power plant in western Massachusetts is asked to formally oppose it. (Daily Hampshire Gazette)

TECHNOLOGY: New York City becomes a hotbed for green technology startups as state and city funds are available for energy-saving devices. (Crain’s New York Business, subscription required)

COMMENTARY:
• A Rhode Island state representative says the state is correct to pursue its climate lawsuit against major oil companies who must be held accountable. (Patch.com)
• A director of a fare management company says one way for Maryland’s transit system to recover from the pandemic is to install an innovative and more equitable fare collection system. (Maryland Matters)