The first-ever offshore wind lease auction for the Gulf of Maine resulted in the sale of four offshore lease areas to two developers, bringing in a total of about $21.9 million.

The New England states are planning to solicit project proposals to increase the region’s north-to-south transmission capacity, the New England States Committee on Electricity said.

A proposed transmission project to relieve transmission constraints in Maine has received a major boost with the U.S. Department of Energy’s announcement of an up-to $425 million investment in the project, but challenges still remain.

In a reflection of broader disagreements across the New England energy landscape, speakers at a Northeast energy conference presented divergent visions of the future role of natural gas.

Increasing electricity prices must be met with a greater effort to reduce peak loads and protect low- and moderate-income ratepayers, several Northeast utility regulators said at Raab Associates’ New England Electricity Restructuring Roundtable.

Ten East Coast states signed a memorandum of understanding to set up a framework to coordinate interregional transmission planning and development.

Top utility commissioners from four New England states emphasized the need for regulatory innovation to preserve affordability amid the clean energy transition at the New England Energy Conference and Exposition.