Rhode Island power plants see emissions increase

FOSSIL FUELS: New federal data shows four out of Rhode Island’s five natural gas-fired power plants have seen emissions increase substantially in the past year. (ecoRI)

ALSO:

• New Jersey lawmakers advance legislation to hold a referendum on whether to ban new fossil fuel-burning power plants via the state’s constitution but add a loophole for peaker plants. (Associated Press)
• Rhode Island regulators will hold a hearing this week to consider Rhode Island Energy’s proposal for a permanent liquefied natural gas storage facility in Portsmouth. (Rhode Island Current)
• A federal appeals court decides a lawsuit filed by Annapolis, Maryland, and surrounding Anne Arundel County against numerous oil and gas majors can be held in state court. (Capital Gazette)

GRID:

• New Hampshire’s governor expresses disappointment that developers have decided not to pursue a 1.2 GW bidirectional transmission line between New England and Québec through his state and Vermont. (In-Depth NH, CommonWealth Beacon)
• The 2027-2028 capacity auction for New England’s grid operator ends without any coal on the market but increased amounts of solar, wind and storage assets. (PV Magazine)

POLICY: Connecticut lawmakers consider an omnibus climate bill with 17 multi-part initiatives that the bill’s sponsor says are ​“more … carrot than stick,” but some are concerned about proposed solar changes. (CT Mirror)

FLOODS: Several New York City lawmakers call on federal emergency management officials to support the city’s applications for roughly $117 million worth of flood mitigation and climate resiliency projects. (Brooklyn Eagle)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Rhode Island’s governor touts the state’s progress installing new electric vehicle fast chargers and announces a new survey to gather the public’s thoughts on the rollout’s next stage. (news release)
• Election year politics push Connecticut lawmakers away from a stricter phaseout of gasoline-fueled vehicles. (CT Mirror)

NUCLEAR: Federal nuclear regulators cite the Pilgrim nuclear power plant’s decommissioning firm for improper use of clean-up funds, including using $84,000 to sponsor parades and holiday celebrations. (Boston Globe)

SOLAR:

• A town hall meeting in Glen, New York, brought out dozens of members of the area’s growing opposition to a proposed 250 MW solar farm, citing concerns like rural industrialization and wildlife impacts. (Daily Gazette)
• Montour, New York, develops its first community solar project, a 5 MW array that will generate $518,803 in property taxes over 15 years. (Star Gazette)
• Frederick, Maryland’s police department installs the city’s first municipal solar canopy, a 384 kW installation. (WUSA)

WIND: Delaware state park officials will hold a meeting next week on how US Wind’s proposed power lines could affect recreation at the Delaware Seashore State Park. (news release)

UTILITIES: A mild winter has helped New York’s utilities catch up on capital projects, like new transformer lines and maintenance work. (Spectrum News 1)