TRANSMISSION: Maine’s Supreme Court rejects a challenge by a fossil fuel plant owner to state regulators’ approval of a transmission line to import Canadian hydropower. (Associated Press)

RENEWABLES:
• Solar dominates the latest round of clean energy projects selected for $1 billion of state support in New York. (Greentech Media)
• The Connecticut Green Bank asks for a one-month delay in the deadline for bids for state renewable energy programs due to disruptions caused by the pandemic. (Energy News Network)

SOLAR: A western Rhode Island town says it is “maxed out”on ground-mounted solar projects as it has 10 in various stages of development. (ecoRI)

OIL AND GAS:
• Shell suspends construction of its cracker plant in western Pennsylvania over coronavirus concerns after some of the 8,000 workers complained of unsanitary conditions. (StateImpact Pennsylvania)
• Financial analysts say fracking and petrochemicals will be two industries hardest hit by the effects of coronavirus as they will have difficulty paying down their massive debts. (Environmental Health News)

PIPELINES:
• A Pennsylvania legislator and pipeline opponent says construction of the Mariner East pipeline should be halted during the pandemic as other routine businesses are shut down across the state. (Daily Local News)
• A former technician working on the Mariner East pipeline faces federal charges for allegedly falsifying safety information. (E&E News, subscription required)

COMMENTARY:
• A member of the Physicians for Social Responsibility says Pennsylvania would encourage the worst effects of climate change with approval of state subsidies for petrochemical manufacturing. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• The Natural Resources Defense Council says a tax subsidy bill for the petrochemical industry would have limited public benefit. (Natural Resources Defense Council)
• An opponent of support for nuclear power plants says the decision to rescind the closure of a Pennsylvania power plant shows the state called the operator’s bluff. (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)
• A climate change mitigation advocate, proposes public ownership of Columbia Gas of Massachusetts after the company has been banned from the state for unsafe business practices following a fatal explosion. (CommonWealth Magazine)

Bill is a freelance journalist based outside Albany, New York. As a former New England correspondent for RTO Insider, he has written about energy for newspapers, magazines and other publications for more than 20 years. He has an extensive career in trade publications and newspapers, mostly focused on the utility sector, covering such issues as restructuring, renewable energy and consumer affairs. Bill covers Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire and also compiles the Northeast Energy News daily email digest.