New Jersey, New York could make fossil fuel companies pay for climate impacts

CLIMATE: The New Jersey state legislature considers a ​“Climate Superfund” bill that would charge the state’s numerous oil and gas companies a fee that would be used to help fight the effects of climate change. (Associated Press)

ALSO: Climate activists occupy a reception area in the New York Capitol building to urge Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign a bill that stands to raise $75 billion by making fossil fuel companies pay for the climate damages caused by their products. (Inside Climate News)

NUCLEAR: Allowing a request to discharge water from a decommissioned nuclear plant in Massachusetts would likely have left Cape Cod Bay contaminated with radioactive material for up to a month, researchers find. (Boston Globe)

NATURAL GAS:

• A Pennsylvania plant that processes a byproduct of fracked gas for the plastics industry worries neighboring residents with strange smells, acrid fumes, and dark plumes of smoke. (The Guardian)
• Pennsylvania contributed 18% of the U.S.’s record natural gas production in 2023, more than any state other than Texas, according to federal numbers. (news release)

GRID:

• The premier of Ontario, a major exporter of power to New York and other states, says he will cut off the flow of energy to the U.S. if President-elect Trump imposes sweeping tariffs on Canadian products. (Associated Press)
• Summer load in the PJM territory is expected to increase an average of 2% per year through 2045, driven largely by plans for power-hungry data centers in the region. (Utility Dive)
• Two Vermont electric cooperatives receive more than $13 million in federal money to expand and strengthen service in rural areas, making them more resilient in the face of power outages. (VTDigger)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Dozens of New York City councilors support a proposal to register e-bikes and electric scooters, but transportation officials say the move is unnecessary and too costly, and at least one councilor is concerned the police will use the system to discriminate against immigrants. (Streetsblog NYC)
• Maryland announces launch of $17 million grant program to expand adoption of electric school buses in the state. (CBS News)

EFFICIENCY: Massachusetts awards $16 million to support deep energy retrofits in affordable housing developments across the state, marking the third round of awards in what officials say has been a highly successful program. (Boston Agent Magazine)

ELECTRIFICATION: New York launches a contest challenging manufacturers to develop a heat pump that can easily replace hundreds of thousands of inefficient terminal air conditioners in use in the state’s large multifamily buildings. (Canary Media)

TRANSIT: Around Massachusetts, a record number of people are using regional transit systems thanks to fare-free bus rides and expanded service, a trend officials hope will reduce car usage. (CommonWealth Beacon)

GEOTHERMAL: A Massachusetts college completes the first phase of a plan to replace its fossil fuel heating system with a campus-wide geothermal network. (Renewable Energy Magazine)