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Volume 02 | October 25, 2017

Hurricane Sandy’s Legacy: Climate Resiliency Needed
It’s been five years since Hurricane Sandy slammed the Northeast with unprecedented fury. I’m reminded especially of this as I was working in Brooklyn at the time for one of the local utility companies serving customers in New York City and Long Island. “Restore, reconnect, rebuild,” was the mantra coined by a senior leader in the operations center in the immediate aftermath of Sandy. If I could go back in time, I would have added in a final line: “for the future.”

Regional Recognition of Clean and Sustainable Transportation

In September 2017, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced a series of listening sessions to focus on the challenges and opportunities of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector. While those sessions begin on October 31, policy makers across the Northeast and Eastern Canada have been engaging, state-to-state, province-to-province, state-to-province, about the transportation sector’s role in greenhouse gas emissions for a lot longer.

Most recently at the 41 st Conference of New England Governors & Eastern Canadian Premiers (NEG/ECP) this past August, the NEG/ECP signed Resolution 41-4, Concerning Transportation .

‘Czar of Infrastructure’ Embraces Role as Pillar for Port Authority

Governor Cuomo offers position of executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to Mr. Rick Cotton, whom he has called New York’s “czar of infrastructure.”


New Hampshire DOT reveals new transportation plan, but red-list bridges remain problematic
NH Senate Bill 38 allows for funds from the state budget surplus to be used for local highway infrastructure projects including red-listed bridges. There are nearly 400 bridges in NH that fit the "poor" rating to qualify for use of these funds; however, adequate resources are limited.

Northeast condemns Trump's decision repealing Clean Power Plan
Governors speak out against the Trump Administration's decision to repeal the Clean Power Plan. The Northeast states remain committed to expanding a cleaner, greener economy and promoting energy efficiency.

Northeast Committee on the Environment
 
The Northeast Committee on the Environment (NECOE) is represented by the top environmental officers across seven states. NECOE meets quarterly and meetings are administered by the Coalition of Northeastern Governors staff. In addition to the states, regional organizations are invited to participate. 


NEG/ECP Ecological Connectivity Workgroup
The New England Governors/Eastern Canadian Premiers (NEG/ECP) Ecological Connectivity Working Group established in accordance with Resolution 40-3 on Ecological Connectivity, Adaptation to Climate Change, and Biodiversity Conservation had its first two-day face-to-face meeting in Montreal bringing together ecological and transportation experts from New England states and Eastern Canadian Provinces.

News from the States
Maine
Gulf of Maine heating up faster than anywhere else on the planet ( New York Times )
Federal & Regional Updates
Northeast System Operators; Energy Generators; Distribution Companies Aligned in Opposition to Department of Energy NOPR on Grid Resiliency Pricing

Q & A with Massachusetts Port Authority  
In September, Governor Baker, federal and local officials, and Massport kicked-off a massive $350 million Boston Harbor Dredging Project which supports Port of Boston's competitiveness in the global economy, including 7,000 jobs, 1,600 New England businesses and $4.6 billion in economic activity. In the photo on the right, Governor Baker is viewing the maintenance of the dredging site.

Photo courtesy of Office of Governor Charlie Baker



The Coalition of Northeastern Governors ( CONEG) is a non-partisan association of the Northeast states. CONEG encourages intergovernmental cooperation on issues affecting the economic, social and environmental well-being of the Northeast. CONEG coordinates regional efforts by the Governors and their Administrations.  
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