NY regulators, advocates want ratepayers to cover grid upgrades

GRID: New York utility regulators and environmental advocates urge federal regulators to pass a proposal that would have ratepayers cover the cost of transmission upgrades needed for clean energy development, which will later lower their energy bills. (Utility Dive)

CLEAN ENERGY:
• Some union leaders say they’re unhappy with New York’s clean air plans, saying a rapid shift from fossil fuels to clean energy will jeopardize jobs. (Times Union)
• Rhode Island towns oppose a new law barring local tax officials from changing property tax assessments for areas surrounding renewable energy developments, but developers welcome its clarity. (Boston Globe, subscription)
• New York looks to develop an unspecified renewable energy project in a former iron mine in the northern part of the state. (North Country Public Radio)

STORAGE: A Connecticut program will provide up to $7,500 to offset battery storage installation costs and offer payments for power fed to the grid, but one customer laments the long interconnection time. (Connecticut Public)

UTILITIES: Connecticut utilities Eversource and Avangrid launch a new flexible payment program for customers who fell behind on bills during the pandemic. (Connecticut Public)

EFFICIENCY: A new Pennsylvania program will help residents make necessary home repairs, including improved weatherization. (WESA)

WIND: A 112 MW wind project in New York’s Broome County is close to complete. (WSKG)

SOLAR:
• A health care product manufacturer celebrates the completion of its 6.7 MW rooftop solar system on its Massachusetts distribution center. (news release)
• A New Jersey bakery ingredients manufacturer’s headquarters will soon host a 450 kW solar array. (news release)

TRANSPORTATION: Manhattan’s borough president revives talks of congestion pricing as the city’s transportation board lags on implementation. (Gothamist)

CLIMATE: A new program from two conservation groups will pay forest owners in Vermont and parts of Massachusetts and New York to capture and store carbon. (WBUR)

COMMENTARY:
• Massachusetts’ legislature should use its budget surplus on clean energy investments such as training offshore wind industry workers, writes the president of the Northeast Clean Energy Council. (CommonWealth)
• New York City lawmakers need to take on ambitious local climate policy to combat the federal government’s limited ability to take action, a law professor and an environmental law expert writes. (New York Daily News)
• A New Hampshire environmental leader calls on the state’s congressional delegation to lead on climate action. (Concord Monitor)
• The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision limiting the EPA’s regulatory power puts the health of Mainers at risk, a state lawmaker says, calling on state leaders to pick up the slack. (Bangor Daily News)