THIS SUMMER, the Commonwealth and our neighbors across New England have experienced the hottest month on record, historic flooding, and dangerous levels of air pollution. These unprecedented, unnatural disasters have put our communities, homes, and health at risk, especially for those with the least resources to bear the burden of climate change’s devastating impacts. Our only hope […]
Energy
Posted inOpinion
Unjamming the heating oil industry’s road to carbon neutrality
AT A RENEWABLE fuels conference in January, Kevin Beckett, CEO and president of oil burner manufacturer R.W. Beckett Corp., announced that after years of research and development, the company’s much-anticipated B100 residential burner was finally entering production. About the size of a home office printer, this 100-percent biofuel compatible burner is poised to unjam […]
Posted inEconomy, Energy, Government
Will new offshore wind bids bring competitive pricing?
AT LEAST THREE of the five offshore wind developers with leases off the coast of Massachusetts are likely to submit bids in the state’s next procurement, but it’s unclear whether that level of competition will be enough to act as a brake on price escalation. Two of the developers, SouthCoast Wind and Vineyard Offshore, confirmed […]
Posted inEconomy, Energy, Government, Politics
Healey launches offshore wind procurement at risky time
GOV. MAURA HEALEY launched what she described as the region’s largest offshore wind procurement this week. “With our top academic institutions, robust workforce training programs, innovative companies, and support from every level of government – Massachusetts is all-in on offshore wind,” she said. But what her press release failed to mention was that this procurement […]
Posted inOpinion
Workforce ready to reach clean energy goals
OUR COMMONWEALTH is beginning a revolutionary energy transformation and the steps we take now will dramatically shape our climate and economic future. From strategic and inclusive workforce development, to building our electrical infrastructure, to ensuring we can power our lives without polluting our air and water – we are all in this together. Massachusetts has […]
Posted inEnergy, Environment
SouthCoast Wind agrees to pay $60m to terminate power purchase agreements
THE DEVELOPER of SouthCoast Wind on Tuesday agreed to pay more than $60 million to the state’s three leading utilities to terminate power purchase agreements the company negotiated last year to build its wind farm south of Martha’s Vineyard. The SouthCoast proposal, if it is approved by the Department of Public Utilities, would be the […]
Posted inEnergy
DPU approves termination of offshore wind contract
THE MASSACHUSETTS Department of Public Utilities on Wednesday approved without comment the termination of an offshore wind power purchase agreement negotiated between Eversource and Commonwealth Wind and approved by the DPU at the end of last year. Avangrid, the developer behind Commonwealth Wind, sought the termination after it concluded rising inflation, supply chain disruptions, and […]
Posted inOpinion
Three steps for turning the power grid around
THE UTTER DEVASTATION of summer flooding in New England and New York and the Canadian wildfire smoke that shrouded the Northeast in an orange haze in June shouts an inescapable truth louder than any voice: Climate change knows no geographic boundaries. Like it or not, the climate crisis is a global and regional issue. We’re […]
Posted inEconomy, Energy, Government
Everett grid ‘insurance’ cost $536m over first 13 months
NEW ENGLAND electricity customers paid $536 million during the first year of a two-year contract to prop up a power plant and liquefied natural gas facility in Everett as a hedge against regional energy shortages, according to an analysis released by the region’s power grid operator. The natural gas-fired Mystic power plant is shutting down […]
Posted inEnergy, State Government
Sea Installer stops in Salem en route to Vineyard Wind 1
NEW BEDFORD is ground zero for the emerging offshore wind industry in Massachusetts, but Salem got a taste of the action on Tuesday when a giant ship capable of installing the world’s largest wind turbines docked in the harbor. The Sea Installer is preparing to head out to Vineyard Wind 1 south of Martha’s Vineyard […]