Good morning and welcome to the Monday edition of the New York & New Jersey Energy newsletter. We’ll take a look at the week ahead and look back on what you may have missed last week.
DRINKING WATER STANDARDS: The state’s Drinking Water Quality Council will again meet to consider maximum contaminant levels for some PFAS chemicals. The Department of Health has proposed a limit of 10 parts per trillion for four of these chemicals which have toxic effects similar to PFOA and PFOS, which are currently regulated. But environmental advocates want much lower levels — 2 parts per trillion, which is the lowest reliably detectable level. The groups are also pushing for 2 ppt as a notification level for 23 PFAS. These notification levels would trigger letters to residents when their water system detects those compounds. The council meets on Monday. — Marie J. French
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A message from National Grid:
There Is A Better Way. National Grid is announcing our vision for a fossil-free energy future. By using renewable natural gas, and green hydrogen produced from water using wind energy, we can achieve a fossil-free energy future by 2050 or earlier. Download our clean energy vision report.
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Here’s what we’re watching this week:
MONDAY
— The Drinking Water Quality Council meets, 10 a.m. The council is expected to recommend maximum contaminant levels for some PFAS compounds. Advocates want lower levels than proposed by the Department of Health and will hold a presser, 9:30 a.m., Senate lobby, Capitol building, Albany.
TUESDAY
— The climate plan hearing with the biggest capacity yet will be held in Brooklyn, 4 p.m., New York City College of Technology, The Theater at City Tech , 285 Jay Street. The first of two virtual hearings is planned for Saturday.
— Gannet ponders the costs of switching to electric buses.
— OPINION: On the wisdom of energy efficiency.
— Some businesses are at a loss about what to do with their plastic bag inventory as the state’s ban goes into effect. The polystyrene foam ban is also going into effect.
— Camden County has plans to overhaul its parks system and add a new trail.
A message from National Grid:
— New York Senate Democrats passed a slate of environmental bills to recognize Earth Day, including a building codes and appliance efficiency measure that died in the Assembly last year.
— The nation’s largest city is farther from its ambitious waste reduction goal now than when former Mayor Bill de Blasio announced it seven years ago, but lawmakers believe they can still achieve the target.
— First, the state said it will suspend its 16 cents per gallon excise tax through year’s end. Now it’s up to counties.
— A New Jersey Senate task force studying forestry issues met for the first time Thursday evening. The task force, convened by Sen. Bob Smith (D-Middlesex), the chairperson of the Environment and Energy Committee, met for nearly four hours and heard from scores of public speakers. Some clear dividing lines have begun to merge. Speakers variously said the biggest threat to the forest was climate change, deer, wildfire (including the failure to cut down trees) and timbering (which is, of course, cutting down trees).
— Gov. Phil Murphy said that the developer of the state’s first offshore wind farm, Ørsted, formalized an agreement to be the first tenant at the New Jersey “wind port” in Lower Alloways Creek.
— The Assembly on Tuesday passed a limited moratorium on new or renewed permits for cryptocurrency mining operations powered by fossil fuel plants, the first of its kind in the nation.
A message from National Grid:
National Grid is announcing our vision for a fossil-free energy future for our customers and communities. Our fossil-free plan will help achieve the Northeast’s aggressive climate goals and set a new standard for energy companies.
We will use renewable natural gas, green hydrogen generated from wind and solar power, battery storage, and greater energy efficiency to make our National Grid system fossil-free by 2050 or earlier. Climate scientists say renewable natural gas is a win-win for the environment.
There Is A Better Way to keep energy affordable, reliable, and clean. That’s why we are creating a hybrid pathway that preserves customer choice while delivering the clean, affordable energy future our customers want and deserve. Download our clean energy vision report.
