Pennsylvania governor keeps door open for RGGI

CLIMATE: Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf vetoes a bill that would have required legislative approval for the state to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, saying it would ​“effectively deny that climate change is an urgent problem.” (StateImpact Pennsylvania)

ALSO:
• The mayors of New York and Pittsburgh join ten other global cities in a pledge to divest from fossil fuel companies. (Utility Dive)
• New York financial regulators order insurance companies to begin developing plans for disclosing how climate change will affect their operations. (Politico)
• Delaware officials say the state will fall short of its climate target if additional steps aren’t taken. (Cape Gazette)

***SPONSORED LINK: The National Solar Tour is going virtual! Sep. 24-Oct. 4. Meet solar owners from around the country. Hear about their experience going solar. Explore new technologies. Learn about solar’s role in energy equity and community empowerment.***

PIPELINES:
• Federal regulators give final approval for a contested Massachusetts compressor station to begin operation. (WBUR)
• Pennsylvania regulators give the OK for repairs to begin on a pipeline that was the site of a 2018 explosion. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• A retired steelworker wins a dispute with developers of the Mariner East pipeline over a canceled public meeting. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• NiSource’s charitable foundation will provide $10 million to nonprofits in Massachusetts communities impacted by a series of 2018 explosions and fires. (Associated Press)

TRANSMISSION: Advocates remain divided over the potential climate impact of a proposed hydropower transmission line through Maine. (The Revelator)

WIND: An online symposium this week explored the latest research on whether offshore wind farms impact the fishing industry. (Providence Journal)

SOLAR: Developers earlier this month announced power purchase agreements for 50 MW of new solar power in Delaware. (Dover Post)

UTILITIES:
• Maryland lawmakers push regulators to extend a moratorium on utility shutoffs. (Baltimore Business Journal)
• New York’s Museum of Modern Art is more than $200,000 behind on its electric bill. (Crain’s New York Business)

GRID: New York regulators require utilities to enter a minimum three-year agreement for energy storage resources. (Utility Dive)

TRANSPORTATION:
• Newark airport officials say their transition to an all-electric shuttle fleet will be finished three months ahead of schedule. (NJ.com)
• Boston’s Metropolitan Area Planning Council is launching a process to encourage adoption of electric school buses. (Wicked Local)

EFFICIENCY:
• Pittsburgh releases data on building energy use that it began collecting under a 2016 ordinance. (Public Source)
• New York officials consider a bill that would allow restaurants to use outdoor propane heaters as the energy-intensive practice falls out of favor in other countries. (Streetsblog)

COMMENTARY: Two New York City Council members say a proposed natural gas plant ​“flies in the face of every historic commitment we’ve made to renewable energy, environmental justice and clean air.” (Queens Daily Eagle)