ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
CommonWealth Beacon breaks down the latest energy and environmental policy news in Massachusetts, including moves in renewable energy, conservation, and innovation.
New nature conservation fund wins voter approval, setting stage for funding fight
Passage of the ballot question now means a new nature conservation fund will be established to support clean drinking water, create and improve local parks, and protect wildlife habitats without raising taxes or levying a new one.
Political Notebook: Question 8 surpasses Question 3 as most expensive ballot question
An early-October burst of spending by opponents of an attempt to eliminate the recreational marijuana industry has pushed the total amount spent on that measure (Question 8) to nearly $6.5 million. That’s a good chunk more than the $5.9 million spent for and against the all-party primary question so far.
‘It’s a stressful life’: How energy debt is straining 800K Massachusetts utility customers
Massachusetts isn’t alone in the rising share of households facing energy insecurity around the country, yet the state, as wealthy as it is, sticks out given its high cost of living and increasing utility bills.
Mass. spent nearly $400K on an energy study. Three years after its completion, the state hasn’t released the results.
Even before Gov. Maura Healey entered the heart of campaign season — one that has been defined by skyrocketing energy costs and affordability issues — her administration has seemed sensitive to the price tag attached to the tens or hundreds of billions of dollars likely needed to support a sweeping green transition.
Eversource CEO tells industry conference he expects Healey to turn down the ‘volume’ on utility criticism post-election
Nolan’s comments that Healey will tone down her rhetoric after the election stand in stark contrast to Healey’s pitch to voters that Massachusetts will take on utility profits and go to bat for ratepayers.
Future of Mass Save in limbo as Legislature stalls on energy bill
A political backlash to Mass Save, amid a rising tide of angst over soaring utility bills, has taken root in the Bay State.
Healey asks Trump administration to speed up review of planned gas expansion in latest sign of shifting energy politics
As Healey hunts for ways to bring down soaring costs and campaigns for reelection in a race defined by the affordability crisis gripping the state, the governor sees an opportunity to appeal to the Trump administration to bring more gas into the state.
Mass. voters hold Trump, utilities most responsible for high energy costs, new poll finds
Healey’s ability to evade the bulk of the blame with voters for high energy costs is notable as she seeks reelection this fall, given how energy issues have proven stubborn, dogging much of her first term.
The next Quabbin fight is already here
The part of the plan that’s arguably generating the most blowback is the process the MWRA is deploying to win approval from state officials.
A pilot program in Plymouth hopes to crack the code on insurance in coastal communities
The insurance challenge for coastal states like Massachusetts has been a vexing one. Inflation and tariffs are scrambling rebuilding costs, and the rise in climate-driven natural disasters has contributed to a recent increase in private insurers not renewing policies and the state’s insurer-of-last-resort seeing a growth in the number of enrollees.
Massachusetts utilities, Canadian hydro company file dueling lawsuits over new transmission line
The unfolding legal drama marks a major pivot point for a project intended to provide 20 percent of Massachusetts’s electricity — and exposes just how fragile and volatile the state’s energy mix continues to be.
For Healey, a delicate dance with the utilities emerges during election season
Healey can cast the utility companies as a critical partner when it’s advantageous for her to do so — or turn them into a political punching bag and convenient foil when it benefits her.
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