Senesco Marine, North Kingstown, R.I., has launched the electric-diesel hybrid ferry Battery Steele, marking a construction milestone for what the builder describes as the first electrically propelled ferry built in New England.

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced April 6 that it will allocate $657 million through ferry-focused grant programs administered by the Federal Transit Administration to support vessel construction, terminal upgrades, and service expansion across the U.S.