Offshore wind developers drop plan to use new installation ship

Note to readers: Northeast Energy News will be taking a break tomorrow and Monday for Memorial Day weekend. We will return on Tuesday, May 28.

WIND: The developers of two Northeast offshore wind farms say they’ve canceled an agreement to use Dominion Energy’s new installation ship, saying only that ​“we have secured an alternative installation vessel.” (CT Examiner)

ALSO:

• Eversource says it has completed the first phase of a transmission project to accommodate offshore wind. (ReNews)
• A series of public meetings on Bureau of Ocean Energy Management offshore wind proposals begins today. (NHPR)

JOBS: Maine’s Energy Office has launched a new job board aimed at helping jobseekers connect with clean energy opportunities. (Portland Press Herald)

CLIMATE:

• It’s not yet clear whether Vermont Gov. Phil Scott will veto a bill requiring 100% renewable energy by 2030, with the governor saying ​“if we can do it in an affordable way for Vermonters, we’ll choose that route.” (WCAX)
• New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu issues a press release blaming climate policies for higher electricity rates in neighboring states. (news release)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Voters in four central New York school districts on Tuesday rejected proposals to purchase electric buses. (CNY Central)
• Advocates say a New Jersey bill to require registration and insurance for electric bikes would be burdensome for low-income delivery workers, many of whom are recent immigrants. (CBS News)
• New Hampshire, a state that lags its neighbors in electric vehicle adoption, will soon get its first Tesla service station. (Concord Monitor)

TRANSPORTATION: Some advocates in Boston say the city should consider adopting a congestion pricing program similar to the one being introduced in New York City. (WBUR)

POLLUTION: The Connecticut Port Authority is pursuing a $6 million EPA grant to provide dockside electricity for ships at the State Pier, which would help to cut emissions from idling engines. (WSHU)

COAL: A U.S. Senate hearing yesterday discussed mine safety and helping workers who have black lung disease, as lawmakers consider bills led by Pennsylvania’s delegation to improve benefits for miners. (Pennsylvania Capital-Star)

CARBON CAPTURE: A New Jersey natural gas utility installs two small carbon-capture devices – believed to be the first in the state – on the HVAC system at its headquarters. (Tap Into Roxbury)

COMMENTARY: Advocates say they are ​“deeply disappointed” in the Connecticut legislature’s failure to pass a climate bill, ​“squandering so much of the little time we have left.” (CT Mirror)