Mass. drivers could save money charging EVs at night

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Charging electric vehicles in Massachusetts could get less expensive under two utility proposals, but advocates argue tweaks could make the transition faster and more fair. (Energy News Network)

FOSSIL FUELS:

• There are thousands of opportunities across the country for a major methane leak from underground gas storage sites, similar to one that happened in western Pennsylvania in late 2022, according to a new federal analysis. (Floodlight)
• The mayor of Chester, Pennsylvania, calls a liquefied natural gas facility proposed for his city’s waterfront ​“dead in the water” after President Biden paused all LNG export approvals. (Delaware County Daily Times)

GRID: Investor-owned utilities argue before Maine regulators that they should be able to own energy storage facilities, but critics say that allowing them to do so would limit competition. (Portland Press Herald)

BUILDINGS:

• Efficiency Vermont says the Green Mountain State leads New England in terms of heat pump installations per capita, notching 97 for every 1,000 residents. (VT Digger)
• Several central and western Massachusetts towns have received state grants to pay for clean energy works, including improved energy efficiency in municipal buildings. (Spectrum News 1)

FLOODS: Amid increasingly frequent flooding and higher rates of flood insurance claims and payouts, East Providence, Rhode Island, is buying homes in low-lying areas to convert into flood buffer zones. (WPRI)

RAIL: Even though several studies suggest the venture wouldn’t be worth the effort, two Maine lawmakers continue a legislative push to help bring passenger rail to Lewiston, Waterville and Bangor. (Bangor Daily News)

SOLAR:

• Environmentalists say a proposed 18.5 MW solar project in a Rhode Island forest would harm wetlands and carve a long swath for an access road. (ecoRI)
• A Massachusetts community says the clear-cutting of nearby trees for a solar project has caused flooding problems on their properties. (WJAR)

COMMENTARY:

• Boston’s mayor and Massachusetts’ attorney general argue that the state should ban third-party electricity suppliers. (Boston Globe)
• The New York League of Conservation Voters’ president writes that New Jersey should get behind Manhattan congestion pricing because of the public health- and climate-related benefits. (NYDN)
• A Maine editorial board argues that to protect Mainers from climate change, permitting and construction standards need an upgrade and more funds are needed for resilient infrastructure. (Bangor Daily News)