Empire Wind’s construction plan gets federal approval

OFFSHORE WIND: Federal interior officials approve the construction and operations plan for the two-part Empire Wind project slated to provide roughly 2 GW of electricity off the New York coast. (WorkBoat)

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ALSO:

• Vineyard Wind now has five turbines providing power to the New England grid, although nine total have been installed so far. (Associated Press)
• The head of New Jersey’s public utilities board says at an offshore wind conference that she’s “more optimistic than ever” about the industry’s future in her state, despite recent negative developments. (news release)

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PIPELINES: A clean-up crew is back in Pennsylvania’s Marsh Creek State Park to contain a new leak related to the Mariner East pipeline developed by Energy Transfer, which has already paid over $4 million in environmental penalties. (WHYY)

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PLANNING: As the Army Corps of Engineers solidifies plans for a $52.6 billion coastal flood protection project that would redesign significant swathes of New York City’s waterfront, a new federal report suggests the corps isn’t doing enough to factor climate change into such developments. (The City)

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INCINERATION: Constant pulsation sounds from a Bristol, Connecticut, waste-to-energy facility and the unique acoustics of its valley location are causing complaints from dozens of local residents — and leading some to move away. (Hartford Courant, subscription)

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UTILITIES:

• PPL Corp.’s chief executive officer says on the utility’s latest earnings call that the company is “laser focused” on a reliable, affordable and sustainable clean energy transition, with plans for $14.3 billion in new capital spending through 2027. (RTO Insider, subscription)
• Consolidated Edison intends to invest almost $20 billion in the next four years in transmission infrastructure upgrades to boost climate resiliency in New York and New Jersey. (RTO Insider, subscription)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• A 900-unit Queens housing co-op complex now hosts 423 electric vehicle chargers on its property, making it New York City’s largest EV charging station. (Habitat)
• Two electric trash trucks will soon arrive in New Haven, Connecticut, helping replace the city’s diesel-fueled fleet. (New Haven Register)

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TRANSIT:

• Massachusetts transit advocates say they support the governor’s new task force to solve the state’s transit funding problem but worry it lacks diverse perspectives. (WBUR)
• A central Pennsylvania transit agency partners with a gas and power supplier to use biogas from local landfills to fuel around 80 buses. (Lehigh Valley Business)

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POLICY: New York’s environmental conservation commissioner is leaving the agency after over eight years holding the position and guiding the state through its climate goal setting. (Times Union)

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