THE IMPOSITION OF tariffs on energy imports from Canada jeopardizes both our climate targets and the economic security of millions of residents and businesses across New England and New York. […]
Joseph Curtatone
Posted inEnergy
Setting the record straight on energy storage and clean energy costs
Mass. Fiscal Alliance’s recent critique of the state’s pending clean energy legislation regarding battery storage procurement is heavy on alarmism and light on accuracy. The conversation around costs and benefits must be rooted in facts—not misinformation and back-of-the-envelope calculations designed to undermine progress.
Posted inOpinion
We’ll pay a steep price if climate bill doesn’t get done
The Massachusetts Legislature’s failure to pass comprehensive climate legislation and a major economic development bond bill is deeply concerning. We must recommit ourselves to moving both initiatives forward with great haste.
Posted inOpinion
Misinformation threatening efforts to address climate change
As the United States and countries worldwide strive to implement ambitious climate policies to address the climate crisis, they face opposition from factions that exploit environmental policies to advance narrow, often detrimental agendas.
Posted inOpinion
Correcting the record on decarbonization
A RECENT COMMENTARY, “Decarbonization road map has some gaping holes” by Arnold J. Wallenstein, argues that Massachusetts must scale back its efforts to decarbonize its energy system. Unfortunately, the piece […]
Posted inOpinion
Sky is not falling with offshore wind
MASSACHUSETTS’ INEVITABLE march toward becoming a wind energy powerhouse suffered a setback recently when the news broke that Avangrid had filed to terminate its contracts to build the 1.2-gigawatt Commonwealth […]
Posted inOpinion
Federal funds, used wisely, can tackle climate change
AMERICANS CAN FINALLY breathe clean air and a sigh of relief as we see the path ahead to our clean energy future. For decades, the prospects for a livable future […]
Posted inOpinion
What will it take for blue Mass. to go green?
MASSACHUSETTS FINDS itself at a moment of choosing when it comes to embracing clean energy. The state boasts the best wind corridor in the nation and has the potential to […]
Posted inEnvironment, Opinion
What’s next after stunning Maine rebuke
LAST TUESDAY’S stunning rebuke by Maine voters of a utility transmission project has dramatic implications for Massachusetts’ clean energy and climate strategy. The so-called New England Clean Energy Connect transmission […]
Posted inOpinion
Veterans facing homelessness deserve more
WHILE CONTINUING TO contend with the evolving challenges of the pandemic, we must return attention to a crisis that long predated COVID-19 – homelessness in our region. This crisis is […]
Posted inOpinion
Technocratic vaccine plan leaves behind those most in need
FROM THE START, the Commonwealth’s vaccination efforts have suffered from a pervasive disconnect. No one thought to involve municipalities and local health boards in the planning process. Multilingual call lines […]
Posted inHealth Care
Rollback of reopening is imperative amid new surge
MASSACHUSETTS FINDS ITSELF in the eye of a storm. As municipal leaders, we have grown increasingly concerned as we see COVID-19 cases spiking across the state. In some communities we are […]
Posted inOpinion
As 2d COVID spike nears, ending eviction ban bad idea
MASSACHUSETTS FINDS ITSELF in what looks like the early stages of a second coronavirus spike. Since the start of September, the state’s daily incidence rate has increased 118 percent. Our […]
Posted inOpinion
Curtatone: A color-coded map is not a plan
EVERY CITY AND TOWN in Massachusetts has spent months trying to figure out how to return to in-person schooling. We all know the social, emotional, and educational benefits for our […]
Posted inEconomy
Massachusetts Phase 3 reopening plan is hardly ‘Vigilant’
ON MONDAY, MASSACHUSETTS entered Phase 3 of its reopening plan, which Gov. Baker’s people have code-named “Vigilant.” It includes movie theaters, gyms, entertainment venues, casinos, and larger gatherings. This is […]
Posted inHealth Care
In Somerville, we’re keeping up the pressure on all fronts
DURING THE Great Depression’s darkest days, FDR said: “There are many ways of going forward, but only one way of standing still.” As we face a crisis rivaled in modern […]
Posted inOpinion
Save the planet and money at the same time
THE AMERICAN OIL AND GAS industry spends a fortune trying to convince us that renewable, clean power sources like wind, solar, and geothermal are still unreliable and expensive. As mayor […]
Posted inTransportation
Time for radical action at the T
THIS PAST FRIDAY the MBTA had to empty out the station at Central Square in Cambridge because a Red Line car was billowing smoke. The service has experienced fires along […]
Posted inOpinion
White supremacy fuels ‘public charge’ proposal
I THINK IT’S SOME SORT of dystopian rule that the things with the most innocuous names often have the most pernicious effects. The newest entrant into that category is the […]
Posted inEducation, Politics
Curtatone: Charter question goes way too far
$412 MILLION. That figure represents the amount of taxpayer money that was diverted from 243 local school districts across the Commonwealth and given to charter schools last year. If Ballot […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
States must do right thing, accept Syrian refugees
FRIDAY’S ATTACK ON PARIS felt like an attack that happened in our backyard despite it having taken place an ocean away. The reason for that is the attackers didn’t target […]
Posted inOpinion
“Black Lives Matter” more than a slogan
A BLACK LIVES MATTER banner hangs on the front of Somerville City Hall. We put it up this week. We shouldn’t have to. We shouldn’t have to put a banner […]
Posted inGambling, Opinion
Healey is right about Wynn casino
THE VOTERS HAVE SPOKEN and, agree or disagree—and everyone knows I disagree—casinos are a reality in the Commonwealth. But that doesn’t mean casino operators, and those who regulate them, get […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Opinion
Lessons from Ferguson
FOR MONTHS WE’VE all watched the travesty in Ferguson, Missouri, unfold from the death of Michael Brown, to the militarized police response to public protest, to the Department of Justice […]