Good morning. Eversource Energy plans to sell its stake in three offshore wind farms near Long Island and Connecticut. The South Fork, Revolution and Sunrise offshore wind projects are part of a joint venture with Danish wind energy developer Ørsted.
The company would incur a $1.6 billion charge when it sells its stakes to a global private investor. This sale is in response to Eversource shares decreasing by 32% last year, as well as higher inflation and supply chain costs.
The purchase would be subject to regulatory approval. Eversource plans to release terms of the transaction if it is finalized.
Here’s a bite-sized look at what else we are hearing:
The Biden administration has helped fund electric school buses across the U.S. Connecticut will receive 50 electric school buses, and New York is slated for 200 statewide as a part of the first round of grants from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program. Electric vehicles are expected to help improve air quality, helping states transition from using gas-powered vehicles that contribute to climate change. Close to 2,700 buses and chargers were awarded nationwide from the $1 billion competition.
A Long Island elementary school principal resigned for concealing a prior relationship with a high school student. Jessica Bader was appointed as James H. Vernon School’s principal in October. She resigned soon after officials discovered she was suspended in 2007 for having an intimate relationship with an 18-year-old student at East Meadow High School.
Three New Haven pre-K school employees are on paid leave. City police and the state Department of Children and Families are investigating the alleged abuse of students. A lead pre-K teacher and two paraprofessionals allegedly caused students to panic and threatened to knock out a student, according to an unreleased audio recording.
A Suffolk County lawsuit alleges a $55 county administrative ticket fee is illegal. Sean Murtha was ordered to pay a $290 ticket for a lane change violation in March. Murtha paid the ticket but claims the fee violates state law. He seeks restitution for himself and others who have paid the fee. Suffolk motioned to dismiss the case but the suit will return to court next month.
Connecticut is lagging behind in providing services to the deaf and blind community. According to Innivee Strategies and the American School for the Deaf, the state has lapsed in care after its Commission for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing closed in 2016. Connecticut was pioneer in its support of the deaf community, but now it falls short to 35 states that provide deaf services through a centralized agency.
The hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers entering New York are generating millions in revenue for Long Island. According to the Immigration Research Initiative, every 1,000 immigrant workers are expected to generate $3 million in state and local taxes within their first year of arrival. This is expected to increase to $4 million after working in the region for five years.
First Lady Jill Biden will visit New London’s Naval Submarine Base on Thursday. The First Lady will meet the families and crew of the USS Delaware as part of her Joining Forces initiative to support military families. She has sponsored the vessel since 2012 and attended its christening in 2018.