Massachusetts buys former coal plant for next offshore wind terminal

WIND: The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center purchases the 42-acre waterfront site of a former coal- and oil-fired power plant in Salem to build a second terminal for offshore wind development. (Boston Globe)

ALSO:

• Two northern Maine lawmakers who support the King Pine Wind Project are pushing for a feasibility study to identify what infrastructure is needed to complete a related transmission line. (Bangor Daily News)
• The mayor of Ocean City, Maryland, rejects the community incentive package offered by US Wind in exchange for a commitment to not speak negatively about the developer’s local plans. (Salisbury Daily Times)

OIL & GAS: 

• Environmentalists say Pennsylvania’s abandoned oil and gas well plugging project needs more oversight, as much of the funds going toward the effort aren’t being used on the worst wells. (Spotlight PA)
• Tougher federal oversight and a state pilot project mean for the first time Pennsylvania activists have real-time information on emissions from oil and gas operations. (Inside Climate News)
• Fracking companies operating in Pennsylvania will soon need to publicly identify the chemicals they use in the process, but a federal loophole means they won’t have to detail any that are considered ​“trade secrets.” (Bay Journal)
• Pennsylvania environmental regulators permit a fracking company to withdraw millions of gallons of water from Big Sewickley Creek for its operations, despite local opposition. (Trib Live)

NUCLEAR: Massachusetts’ attorney general files a civil lawsuit against the firm handling the Pilgrim nuclear plant decommissioning over air pollution concerns stemming from the site demolition. (CommonWealth Beacon)

HYDROPOWER: As Québec and the Northeast U.S. both look to take advantage of Canadian hydropower to hit renewable energy goals, Hydro-Québec looks to long-duration storage to fulfill its contracts. (RTO Insider, subscription)

SOLAR:

• A developer kicks off construction on New Hampshire’s first utility-owned solar project, a 4.9 MW array near the state’s border with Massachusetts. (news release)
• A Delaware public library uses a nonprofit grant to install enough solar panels to generate around 85% of its power needs despite difficult construction factors. (Coastal Point)

BUILDINGS: With last summer’s floods in mind, Vermont lawmakers consider a bill to require a state permit to build in river corridors, but the state’s governor says he’ll likely veto it, citing a shift in land use responsibility and a lack of resources to execute. (VT Digger)

UTILITIES:

• New England utilities urge federal regulators to reject a petition from Maine’s public advocate claiming transmission projects don’t undergo enough scrutiny. (Utility Dive)
• Vermont Public Power Supply Authority begins offering time-of-use rate discounts for electric vehicle charging to help shave grid peaks via a partnership with an electrification software company. (WCAX)