Maine gets $10 million for heat pumps in mobile homes

BUILDINGS: Maine receives a $10 million federal grant to install specially designed heat pumps in mobile homes, with a specific focus on small towns. (Maine Public)

GRID:

• National Grid abandons plans for an energy storage project to improve reliability in New York’s Adirondack region, following local opposition and a town moratorium. (Adirondack Explorer)
• A bipartisan group of New York congressional representatives urges FERC to move quickly to finalize a transmission rule expected to facilitate more clean energy. (E&E News, subscription)

OVERSIGHT: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul appoints a former state commissioner and an environmental advocate to fill two open seats on the state’s Public Service Commission. (E&E News, subscription)

UTILITIES: Maine lawmakers discuss a bill that would allow state regulators to use utilities’ performance as a basis for ratemaking. (Portland Press Herald)

SOLAR:

• A new report finds Northeast states are leading the country in rooftop solar installations per capita, in large part due to favorable policy. (E&E News, subscription)
• Clean energy advocates urge Massachusetts lawmakers to adopt a ​“million solar roofs” policy to encourage 10 GW of new solar by 2030. (PV Magazine)
• Connecticut energy officials urge caution as lawmakers consider suspending the state’s cap on commercial projects, which is intended to keep prices low through a competitive bidding process. (Connecticut Inside Investigator)
• A Connecticut developer receives key permits to develop solar arrays on three former landfill sites in the state. (Patch)

TRANSPORTATION: New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy proposes a tax on large corporations to fund mass transit. (Daily Record)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announces plans for 250 curbside electric vehicle chargers, to be installed by two private companies at no cost to the city. (Boston Globe)
• A Pennsylvania town purchases two electric police cars with a federal grant, but the chief doesn’t see the full fleet going electric with current range limitations. (Daily Times)

HYDROGEN:

• Scientists and advocates warn federal plans to rapidly ramp up hydrogen production are underestimating potential climate risks. (Energy News Network) 
• Advocates host a public meeting in rural Pennsylvania to discuss a regional hydrogen hub’s plan for ​“pore space leasing” to sequester carbon dioxide. (Farm and Dairy)

CARBON CAPTURE: New York lawmakers advance a bill that would ban the use of carbon dioxide injection to extract natural gas, in response to a developer’s plan for the state’s Southern Tier. (Waterfront Online)

GEOTHERMAL: Bard College in upstate New York plans a new geothermal system to provide heating and cooling to the campus library. (ThinkGeoEnergy)