Massachusetts climate bill showdown resumes tomorrow

CLIMATE: Massachusetts lawmakers expect to vote again tomorrow on a climate bill that was vetoed by Gov. Charlie Baker earlier this month. (State House News Service)

ALSO:
• Experts say a net-zero building code in the Massachusetts bill will not significantly impact housing affordability, a concern raised by Gov. Baker. (Energy News Network)
• Maine legislators are exploring a wide range of legislation to meet targets in the state’s new climate plan. (Portland Press Herald)
• Directors of two New York City pension funds vote to divest of $4 billion worth of fossil fuel securities. (Reuters)

UTILITIES: In the months before Tropical Storm Isaias caused widespread power outages, executives from a Long Island utility traveled extensively to Puerto Rico in a failed bid to win a contract to operate the territory’s electric grid. (Newsday)

SOLAR:
• A wastewater authority in central Pennsylvania is helping finance private solar projects, arguing that solar panels can reduce nitrogen pollution and improve water quality. (StateImpact Pennsylvania)
• As New Jersey lawmakers debate whether solar projects should be allowed on farmland, warehouses to support e-commerce are being built all around the state and prompting similar land-use fights. (NJ Spotlight)
• The first solar panels are installed at a 20 MW microgrid project at Pittsburgh’s airport. (Pittsburgh Business Times)
• A coastal Maine town considers a rule change to allow solar farms. (Portland Press Herald)

PIPELINES: FERC asks a court to dismiss challenges to its approval of the Constitution Pipeline, which was canceled by developers. (Bloomberg Law)

EFFICIENCY:
• Burlington, Vermont has distributed $500,000 in energy efficiency rebates since April. (VT Digger)
• Voters in a Maine town approve a $2.8 million energy efficiency plan in a drive-up town meeting. (Bangor Daily News)

POLLUTION: Operators of a Pennsylvania waste-to-energy plant agree to pay $218,000 in fines for pollution violations over the past two years. (Philadelphia Inquirer)

CLEAN ENERGY: Officials in a Delaware town approve a plan to allow residents to purchase 100% renewable electricity. (Newark Post)

COMMENTARY:
• A New Jersey advocate says ​“the performance of the state pension’s fossil-fuel investment is disastrous” and fund managers should drop those assets. (NJ Spotlight)
• A Maryland advocate says passing a climate bill should be a top priority for lawmakers this year. (Baltimore Sun)
• A Connecticut editorial board says that while climate change is a global issue, ​“there are important steps to be taken locally.” (New Haven Register)