OFFSHORE WIND: A top Connecticut energy official says the state may need to more than double its offshore wind purchasing goal, which is currently set at 2 GW by 2030. (Connecticut Insider)

CLEAN ENERGY: Connecticut has committed $100 million to a wind-and-solar-focused investment portfolio, which the state treasurer says will align with climate goals and save money. (Hartford Business Journal)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: In Boston, a car sharing service looks to expand access to electric vehicles through income-tiered pricing. (Energy News Network)

TRANSPORTATION:
• Advocates say a proposed $1.1 billion highway widening project runs counter to the state’s climate goals, which include reducing vehicle miles traveled. (NJ Spotlight)
• Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont proposes offering free bus weekend bus service over the summer to encourage transit use. (Mass Transit)

SOLAR:
• The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority forecasts that it will save at least $250,000 a year by buying energy credits from a 6 MW solar array sited on an East Providence brownfield. (ecoRI)
• A Maryland property owner is facing local opposition to his plan to lease land to a solar developer for an up-to-2-MW array over potential community impacts like stormwater drainage. (Cecil Daily)

BATTERY STORAGE: Though winds whipped across the region and caused power outages, critical systems proved resilient at the Vermont State House due to a recently installed battery system. (Vermont Business Magazine)

RELIABILITY: In Maryland, Easton Utilities wants the state to consider banning mylar balloon releases to prevent power outages and downed power line incidents. (Herald Mail)

TRANSMISSION: Yesterday, a federal appeals court heard arguments over the way the federal government handled the permitting process of a contentious $1 billion transmission project in Maine. (Associated Press)

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GREEN HYDROGEN:
• By the first quarter of 2022, Plug Power plans to begin construction in south-central Pennsylvania on a green hydrogen production plant, which will draw power from a hydroelectric facility. (Reuters)
• Separately, the state of New York granted Plug Power $1.5 million and a low-cost allocation of hydropower for another green hydrogen production plant. (The Daily News)

COMMENTARY: A retired water utility executive says that if Connecticut tries to take over Eversource and municipalize its power utility, it should consider the acquisition structure that over a dozen south-central towns used to form a water utility 40 years ago. (The Day)

Bridget is a freelance reporter and newsletter writer based in the Washington, D.C., area. She compiles the Northeast Energy News digest. Bridget primarily writes about energy, conservation and the environment. Originally from Philadelphia, she graduated from Emerson College in 2015 with a degree in journalism and a minor in environmental studies. When she isn’t working on a story, she’s normally on a northern Maine lake or traveling abroad to practice her Spanish language skills.