New Hampshire town finds workaround to state net metering cap

SOLAR: To get around New Hampshire’s 5 MW solar net metering cap, the town of Bow plans to develop 6 MW of capacity across three municipal sites — double the capacity of the largest array in the state. (Concord Monitor)

ALSO:

• A 2023 Maine law forces a solar developer to reduce the size of two solar farms slated to provide 2.7 MW each to conform to a new 1 MW or less cap. (Maine Monitor/​Quoddy Tides)
• Some residents of Raymond, Maine, threaten legal action against a proposed solar farm they say is too close to their residential neighborhood and may harm their local ecosystem. (News Center Maine)
• A suburban Philadelphia township decides to write a letter of support for a state bill that would allow for community solar facilities. (Maine Line Times & Suburban)

OFFSHORE WIND: The head of the Connecticut Port Authority says New York’s selection of the Empire Wind and Sunrise Wind projects promises more turbine assembly activity at the New London state pier. (The Day)

GRID:

• The trial of two people charged with plotting to destroy substations around Baltimore will begin in early July, a federal judge decides. (Baltimore Sun)
• In Maryland, utilities and state regulators are coming to different conclusions as to the extent that electrification will impact the grid. (Daily Record)

CONSUMERS: Maryland lawmakers advance new residential ratepayer protections for those purchasing power from retail suppliers, including a price cap over the standard service offer. (Associated Press)

HYDROPOWER: Dover-Foxcroft, Maine, considers whether to remove or restore a former hydroelectric dam that provides an attractive backdrop for daily life but is structurally unsound. (Bangor Daily News)

CLIMATE:

• New York City plans to use federal grants to upgrade or build greenway paths as part of its climate resiliency strategy, forming new paths for low-to-no emissions transit and mitigating the heat island effect. (Inside Climate News)
• Some coastal Maine towns debate whether managed retreat of certain buildings and homes is a better option than rebuilding on plots prone to flood damage after January’s storms. (Maine Monitor)
• A new study finds thousands more homes than previously believed in Atlantic City, New Jersey, will be flood prone by midcentury due sea level rise and sinking land. (WHYY)
• A state-federal program says climate change is bringing more nitrogen and phosphorus pollution into the Chesapeake Bay. (Bay Journal)

COMMENTARY: New Hampshire’s consumer advocate writes that Eversource Energy is undertaking a $400 million transmission line upgrade project in a way that indicates the utility is ​“hoping nobody, or almost nobody, will notice.” (In-Depth NH)