New York natural gas plant gets big tax break

NATURAL GAS: A 635 MW natural gas-fired power plant in eastern New York recently discussing closure says it will continue operating now that local officials have reduced its property taxes by nearly $1 million. (Times Union)

ALSO: A peaker plant on Long Island, New York, has been out of service since mid-April due to a faulty ​“critical component” in the combustion turbine. (Newsday)

UTILITIES:
• Over 90 people testify at a public hearing on whether Maine should create a consumer-owned utility, the majority of whom are in favor of the proposal and say Central Maine Power provides consistently poor or compassionless service. Portland Press Herald, subscription)
• Philadelphia Gas Works says it is investigating far-right extremist stickers affixed to a city-owned gas utility truck. (Billy Penn)
• Pennsylvania regulators will hold public hearings in mid-June regarding PECO Energy’s requested 7% overall revenue increase, equal to $246 million. (Daily Local News)

CLIMATE: Some opponents of Pennsylvania’s efforts to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative focus their critiques on how they believe blue-collar jobs and school revenue would be impacted. (Indiana Gazette)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: New Jersey announces a proposed rule to transition medium- and heavy-duty trucks to electric, earning applause from environmentalists and little opposition from critics. (NJ Spotlight)

PIPELINES: Federal regulators grant the operators of the interstate Transco pipeline two more years to construct a nearly $1 billion expansion of their infrastructure, despite local opposition. (CentralJersey.com)

COAL: While coal is phasing out of New England’s energy mix, hundreds of New Hampshire homes still burn the rock to cheaply heat their homes all winter. (Concord Monitor)

GEOTHERMAL: A nonprofit wants to warm eastern Massachusetts homes with geothermal energy derived from the heat of the Merrimack River and the Massachusetts Bay. (NetZero Insider, subscription)

SOLAR: A Boston-area veterinary practice has installed a 48-panel solar array, which covers three-fourths of the business’ power needs, and an electric vehicle charging station. (news release)

GRID: PJM Interconnection believes it will have enough power to meet demand this summer amid a mitigated pandemic and ​“warmer-than-normal temperatures.” (news release)