Northeast Balances Recovery and Environment: Solar Surges, Pipeline Plans Scrapped
As economies reopen after the COVID-19 pandemic, essential workers' practices offer a glimpse into the future of employment. Meanwhile, Northeastern states have delayed transportation emissions plans. In renewable energy news, Syracuse, a cloudy city, has seen solar development boosted by New York's policies. The region's grid operator recorded a record solar production in early May.
Essential workers, maintaining social distancing, have shown how work may adapt as economies restart. In the Northeast, states have postponed plans for a transportation emissions compact until fall due to the pandemic.
New York's solar policies have spurred development in Syracuse, one of the U.S.'s cloudiest cities. On a sunny early May afternoon, New England's grid operator recorded a record 3,200 MW of rooftop solar energy production.
An environmental scholar blames climate change on merchants' influence over governments. A company, unnamed in search results, proposed underwater pipeline connections between New Jersey and New York, but both states rejected the plan. A compressor breakdown at a Delaware refinery led to a 4,000-pound sulfur dioxide release.
Connecticut regulators rejected a solar development due to inadequate stormwater management. The Williams Cos. has abandoned its proposed undersea pipeline linking New Jersey and New York due to permit rejections. PJM's market monitor estimates New Jersey's departure from the grid operator could cost residents up to $386 million in the 2021-22 capacity year. A Maine business group sees a power line transmitting Canadian hydropower as a potential driver of economic recovery, with $300 million in construction contracts already awarded.
These developments highlight the region's efforts to balance economic recovery with environmental responsibility. As workplaces adapt and energy policies evolve, the Northeast continues to grapple with the impacts of climate change and the pandemic.
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