Solar slows in Massachusetts: Do incentives need another look?

SOLAR: As solar installations lag in Massachusetts, advocates urge the state to re-examine its incentive program, which they say has not adapted to economic changes. (Energy News Network) 

ELECTRIFICATION:

• Ithaca, New York’s push to reach net-zero emissions highlights the opportunities and challenges from building electrification. (NPR)
• State incentives and a lack of natural gas infrastructure are helping Maine become a national leader in heat pump installations. (New York Times)
• A Boston pilot project aims to replace gas stoves with electric in a low-income housing development. (Boston Globe, subscription)

OFFSHORE WIND:

• Scientists in Rhode Island work to debunk persistent social media misinformation that offshore wind construction is killing whales after a whale is stranded near South Kingstown. (Providence Journal)
• A judge rejects an anti-wind group’s challenge to two offshore wind authorizations in New York and New Jersey on grounds the projects would be harmful to whales. (Bloomberg Law, subscription)
• The Maine site recently chosen for an offshore wind port has a history of failed projects and fierce opposition to development from conservationists. (Bangor Daily News)
• Officials in a Buffalo suburb pass a resolution opposing offshore wind turbines in Lake Erie, persuaded by an activist group aiming for a permanent ban. (Buffalo News)
• New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy issues a statement praising recently announced solicitations, saying they reaffirm the state’s ​“commitment to a strong and thriving offshore wind industry.” (Press of Atlantic City)

UTILITIES:

• Central Maine Power seeks permission to bill ratepayers for $162 million to cover costs from storm-related outages last year. (Press Herald)
• Maryland lawmakers advance a bill that would place tougher restrictions on third-party energy suppliers. (Maryland Matters)

GRID: A Long Island town is welcoming energy storage development despite some local opposition, a contrast to other towns that have passed moratoriums on the project. (Newsday)

GEOTHERMAL: As a Rochester, New York, industrial building is converted to housing, it will be heated and cooled by a $1.9 million geothermal system, in a project that developers say could be a model for others in the region. (WXXI News)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A Google-backed company unveils what are believed to be the fastest public EV chargers in the U.S. in New York City, promising to add 200 miles of range in five minutes. (Reuters)

MINING: Experts say massive lithium projects in California and elsewhere won’t necessarily negate the need for mining in Maine. (Maine Monitor)

COMMENTARY: A Maine business leader says two recent utility accountability bills are duplicative, and indicate a need for a more deliberative approach on energy policy. (Bangor Daily News)