Wind turbine startup thinks small in Vermont

WIND: A startup champions a smaller-scale wind turbine in Vermont that it hopes would encounter less public objection than large utility scale machines. (Energy News Network)

ALSO: The developer of an offshore wind farm in Maryland delays the project a second time due to the lack of a land-based connection and now estimates completion in mid-2026. (Delmarvanow)

***SPONSORED LINK: Save the Date! Registration for the Business Network for Offshore Wind’s International Partnering Forum opens March 15. Unique this year, IPF will be in-person (August) *AND* virtual (April, May, June.)***

POWER PLANTS: The last coal-fired power plant in New Hampshire will run until mid-2025 as a successful bidder in the recent capacity auction for the New England power grid. (Concord Monitor)

FRACKING:
• A four-part series examines the health consequences for a Pennsylvania region in the center of the state’s fracking boom. (Environmental Health News)
• Environmental advocates and Republican legislators respond to the decision by several governors to permanently ban fracking in an area of northeastern Pennsylvania. (Reading Eagle, Williamsport Sun-Gazette) 

OIL & GAS:
• A new report says the natural gas industry received tax breaks of $3.7 billion and direct payments of $118 million in 2019 from Pennsylvania. (Pittsburgh City Paper)
• While Pennsylvania Democrats have stated climate change is a priority, recent legislative hearings have heavily featured fossil fuels. (StateImpact Pennsylvania)

TRANSMISSION: Analysts say accommodating Maine’s renewable energy goals over the next decades will require a makeover of the state’s transmission infrastructure similar to one that occurred a few decades ago. (Portland Press Herald)

SOLAR: A New Hampshire nonprofit installs residential solar systems at a reduced cost by tapping community expertise using the concept of an Amish barn-raising. (Concord Monitor)

COMMENTARY:
• An editorial board cheers a host community agreement between a state authority and New London, Connecticut that will result in higher payments for the city as a potential offshore wind hub. (The Day)
• The developer of a biomass plant in Massachusetts counters ​“public misinformation” about the technology and says the project promises environmental benefits and jobs for the community. (Masslive)
• An environmental advocacy group says the impacts of New Jersey rejoining a regional emissions agreement in 2019 are now being seen with additional investments in efficiency and clean energy projects. (NorthJersey.com)
• A Massachusetts utility says it is a committed partner in the state’s clean energy initiatives and also extending them to benefit lower-income households. (Telegram & Gazette)
• A Maine logger questions the purported economic benefits of Central Maine Power’s transmission line project as out-of-state contractors and employees are performing land-clearing. (Sun Journal)
• The New Jersey Conservation Foundation says New Jersey can avoid Texas’ grid failure by developing the right mix of clean energy resources while building a more modern transmission system. (NJ Spotlight)