The announcement applies to the Vineyard Wind 1 project that has been moving ahead off the Nantucket coast and is currently delivering about 400 megawatts of energy to the New England electric grid.
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Posted inEnergy
DPU approves utility deals with Everett LNG terminal
The ruling, released on Friday, approved gas supply contracts between Constellation and National Grid, Eversource, and Unitil that will keep the Everett Marine Terminal running even as its largest customer, the Constellation-owned Mystic Generating Station next door, closes at the end of this month.
Posted inEnergy
Cold weather threatens to take bite out of Healey’s energy savings bid
If consistently below-average temperatures drag deeper into the winter, the average ratepayer might still wind up with comparatively higher bills as their heating systems use more energy to warm homes.
Posted inThe Download
The Download: Cold weather threatens to take bite out of Healey’s energy savings bid
New from CommonWealth Beacon LAWSUIT: Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell is suing nine towns for their refusal to comply with the MBTA Communities multifamily housing law, Jennifer Smith reports. BUDGET: […]
Posted inThe Download
The Download: House tees up sprawling energy package that would cut $1B from Mass Save
New from CommonWealth Beacon NEW CODCAST: Is the T spending too much or too little? That’s the question Chris Lisinski explores on this week’s episode alongside guests Jim Aloisi, a […]
Posted inEnergy
House tees up sprawling energy package that would cut $1B from Mass Save
The legislation thrust Beacon Hill’s Democratic supermajority into a fierce debate when an earlier version of the bill that would have weakened the state’s 2030 climate targets advanced out of committee.
Posted inOpinion
Sensible reforms can make solar a bigger part of the answer to the energy affordability crisis
Breaking this cycle requires unleashing local solar and storage so we can generate affordable electricity right here in Massachusetts. Solar and batteries keep getting cheaper, while the cost to supply and deliver gas is only rising.
Posted inEnergy
Mass. ratepayers to pay $521m more for hydroelectricity because of Maine political delays
The project has never received as much attention as the state’s forays into offshore wind, but in many ways it is more important. It offers 1,200 megawatts of firm capacity, power that could be particularly valuable during winter months when New England electricity prices tend to skyrocket as natural gas for use by electric power generators is often diverted for home heating.
Posted inEnergy
‘Rate shock’: Healey’s affordability push meets a dramatic proposed gas bill hike
Liberty Utilities, which services a small southeastern pocket of Massachusetts, filed its rate hike request in June and is asking the Department of Public Utilities for permission to raise gas rates by about 55 percent on average.
Posted inOpinion
Why is your energy bill so high? Blame natural gas volatility and utility profits
The cost of natural gas infrastructure, generous utility profits, and the region’s continued fossil fuel investments left us ill-equipped to deal with an exceptionally cold winter.
Posted inEnergy
House passes landmark energy bill with deep cuts to Mass Save, sending it to Senate
The legislation reflects the larger tradeoffs around energy policy as Beacon Hill grapples with rising power demand, soaring costs, and quickly approaching climate commitments.
Posted inEnergy
Healey convenes solar leaders in search of energy answers
Gov. Maura Healey heard from solar industry officials at a Monday summit pleading to cut red tape and costs associated with installing more of the green energy source in Massachusetts.
Posted inEnergy
Healey, Lamont eyeing possible nuclear/wind deal
Healey is signaling that she might agree to purchase power from the Millstone nuclear power plant in Connecticut if in return Connecticut buys a chunk of the output of the proposed Vineyard Wind 2 wind farm off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard.
Posted inEnvironment
Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s big question on climate
“It’s a transition, but we all have to be more thoughtful,” she said recently.
Posted inThe Download
The Download: Healey’s shift toward nuclear energy raises affordability, feasibility questions
New from CommonWealth Beacon COMPETITIVENESS: Gov. Maura Healey’s top economic development official and state lawmakers musings at a recent budget hearing about affordability in the nation’s second-most expensive state centered […]
Posted inEnvironment
Mass. falling short of key climate targets, with some bright spots, after one year of Trump attacks
The state’s self-assessment comes as it races to reduce its carbon pollution to 50 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 and produce no new net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 — all while confronting a hostile federal government and an affordability crisis sweeping the state.
Posted inEnergy
Healey sees ‘nice synergy’ in buying Millstone nuclear power
“Millstone is a good example,” Gov. Maura Healey said. “Millstone is a nuclear power plant in Connecticut. There’s an opportunity for Massachusetts to purchase energy from Millstone. There’s a nice synergy there.”
Posted inOpinion
A warning about Project Maple
The Canadian fossil fuel corporation erroneously claims New England, New Jersey, and New York need more gas for homes and buildings and to generate electricity.
Posted inThe Saturday Send
Utility bills drive Beacon Hill climate politics and four more stories
The Saturday Send Welcome back to the Saturday Send, a weekly digest of stories from CommonWealth Beacon that you may have missed. This week, Chris Lisinski does a deep dive […]
Posted inThe Download
The Download: Massachusetts signals new gas customers may soon have to pay full hookup costs
New from CommonWealth Beacon BALLOT QUESTION: Secretary of State Bill Galvin is pursuing a ballot question to allow same-day voter registration after the policy has stalled multiple times in the […]
Posted inEnvironment
Ratepayer revolt: Has the affordability debate soured Mass. on climate commitments?
Fighting climate change was once a badge of honor in Massachusetts, embraced by virtually all Democrats and even a lot of Republicans. But as households grapple with soaring energy bills, elected officials have become much more squeamish about the topic.
Posted inThe Download
‘Frustration’ remains among lawmakers despite shrinking unemployment delays
New from CommonWealth Beacon NEW CODCAST: This week on The Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon senior reporter Jordan Wolman hosts a discussion about how rising utility bills became the chief political headache […]
Posted inEnergy
Shifting politics around data centers scramble Healey AI push
A backlash to data centers is scrambling whether and how the AI industry takes hold in Massachusetts, how it plays politically for Democrats in a deep-blue state, and how state officials manage the tradeoffs.
Posted inEnergy
Senate considering new model for developing clean energy
The senator said the proposal is essentially a new business model for developing clean energy, one that does away with the current plodding procurement process involving the Legislature and utilities and instead gives the governor near-total control.