Massachusetts lawmakers make late-session push on energy siting bill

CLEAN ENERGY: Massachusetts lawmakers are expected to vote today on a bill that would call for a 9 GW of new clean energy while updating siting and permitting rules for new projects. (State House News Service) 

ALSO:

• New York’s state auditor says regulators relied on outdated data in their conclusions about the state’s ability to reach its clean energy targets, and did not develop a backup plan for not meeting the goals. (Albany Times Union)
• State and federal officials visit a Connecticut farm to highlight how renewable energy can help keep the agriculture industry afloat. (WTNH)

WIND:

• Operations at Vineyard Wind have been shut down after debris from a broken turbine blade washed up on shore over the weekend. (State House News Service)
• A Belgian company plans a $300 million cable manufacturing plant in Baltimore to serve the offshore wind industry. (Baltimore Business Journal)
• Massachusetts and federal officials will host a public information session on Cape Cod for plans for offshore wind after lawmakers called for more public outreach. (Cape Cod Times)

CLIMATE: Fishermen and environmentalists are fighting scientists’ plan to study whether adding lye to the ocean off Cape Cod can effectively remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. (Boston Herald)

GRID: Central Maryland residents, some citing misinformation about health and safety risks, say they were caught off guard by a utility’s plan for a 70-mile transmission line to serve a new data center. (Baltimore Banner)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Vermont offers new incentives to help residents replace flood-damaged cars with electric vehicles. (WCAX)
• A Maine resident explains why she relies on an electric bike as her sole means of transportation. (Ellsworth American)

NATURAL GAS: Pennsylvania regulators find no evidence that utility infrastructure is to blame for a 2023 house explosion that killed six people in Pittsburgh. (KDKA)

SOLAR:

• A New Hampshire startup is developing a verification process to help consumers separate legitimate solar installers from predatory companies. (New Hampshire Business Review)
• A Maryland nonprofit says a $1.25 million state solar grant will help in its mission to ​“diminish poverty and enable self sufficiency” for the residents it serves. (Baltimore Sun)

CARBON CAPTURE: A group of more than 30 environmental and health groups urge Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro to veto a bill that would facilitate carbon capture and storage in the state. (Environmental Health News)

COMMENTARY: A Boston reporter pushes back on false claims from readers that electric vehicles are more prone to fires than gasoline-powered ones. (Boston Globe)