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More steps toward restarting gas pipeline projects

By Sarah Shemkus

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This roundup of energy news headlines comes from our Northeast Energy News newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox each morning.

NATURAL GAS

  • Developer Williams asks federal regulators to reinstate its permit for a natural gas pipeline the state of New York had previously blocked over environmental concerns; Gov. Kathy Hochul says pipelines could help lower energy costs but would need to abide by state and local laws. (New York Times)

OFFSHORE WIND

  • A test-scale floating offshore wind turbine is in position in waters off Maine, but the Trump administration’s anti-wind policies still pose a significant threat to the fledgling industry. (IEEE Spectrum)

TRANSIT

  • The Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority has fallen well behind schedule on reaching its legally mandated target of electrifying its Boston area bus fleet by 2040, as it struggles with supply chain issues, rising costs, and lack of funding. (Boston Globe)

AFFORDABILITY

  • Republican lawmakers in Rhode Island file bills aiming to reduce energy costs by targeting solar net metering, wind projects, and energy efficiency programs. (WPRI)

SOLAR

  • A nearly decade-long effort to authorize community solar in Pennsylvania could have positive momentum this year, thanks to a bill that reframes the concept as community energy” and allows natural gas programs to participate as well. (PV Magazine)

  • A Pennsylvania program funding solar installations on schools would have less economic impact if federal efforts to eliminate clean energy tax credits are successful. (WESA)

GRID

  • Three Maine environmental groups appeal a federal judge’s ruling allowing construction to continue on a 145-mile transmission line intended to import hydropower from Canada onto the New England grid, but which opponents say will damage valuable forests. (WGAN)

  • New Jersey utilities regulators adopt a slate of grid modernization rules with the goal of streamlining the process of interconnecting new distributed generation to increase power supply as the state faces rising energy prices. (RTO Insider)

ANAEROBIC DIGESTION

  • A new anaerobic digestion facility in Vermont receives organic waste from Ben and Jerry’s through a dedicated pipeline and converts it into power. (Electrek)

COMMENTARY

  • Pennsylvania has emerged as a clean energy leader, and should continue to invest in the industry to create jobs and spur economic growth, says an economic policy analyst. (TribLive)

NEW FROM CANARY

  • Residents of an affordable housing complex in Sacramento, California, are seeing both financial and climate benefits after the neighborhood made energy efficient upgrades and replaced gas appliances with electric. Alison F. Takemura reports.

  • New steelmaking and ironmaking capacity coming to the U.S. is all expected to use cleaner technologies that will reduce the industry’s emissions impact, but many steelmakers still rely on coal-fired blast furnaces. Dan McCarthy reports.