SOMERVILLE MAYOR Joe Curtatone announced on Wednesday that he is taking over as president of the Northeast Clean Energy Council when his current term ends in January. Curtatone, who is […]
Climate change
Posted inOpinion
Climate change is fundamentally a health issue
AS THE WILDFIRES raged out west on July 26, we woke up to a hazy sky that was uncharacteristic of the Boston area. The usual clear and clean skies of […]
Posted inTransportation
Biden proposes ambitious electric vehicle plan
THE BIDEN administration announced a series of policy measures on Thursday designed to accelerate the country’s embrace of electric vehicles, a move that should make it easier for states like […]
Posted inOpinion
Mass. must lead in combating climate crisis
SIX MONTHS into President Biden’s first year in office, we are witnessing a profound reversal of the anti-environment legacy that his predecessor left behind. Our federal government is poised to […]
Posted inOpinion
Mass. needs to prioritize shovel-worthy projects
THE AMERICAN JOBS PLAN marks a huge opportunity for our state and country. These funds, in addition to those provided by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), could bring a […]
Posted inOpinion
No justification for proposed Peabody gas plant
THE MASSACHUSETTS Municipal Wholesale Electric Company and the staff at some participating municipal light plants say that building a new, 60-megawatt combined natural gas and oil peaker power plant in […]
Posted inOpinion
Mass. should set 100% clean energy mandate
WITH LAST MONTH’S approval of the nation’s first large-scale offshore wind project off the coast of Massachusetts, a clean energy future is within our grasp in the United States. Nowhere […]
Posted inOpinion
Gearing up to cope with extreme heat
SUMMER 2020 was one for the record books, and not just because of COVID-19. Temperatures in June, July, and August made last summer the hottest on record in Massachusetts. Throughout […]
Posted inOpinion
In dealing with climate change, don’t forget solar, storage
LAST MONTH, Gov. Charlie Baker signed landmark climate change legislation. Press coverage that focused on the sparring between the governor and the Legislature over the details obscured the bigger story, […]
Posted inOpinion
The real work begins now on climate change
THIS SPRING, as flowers and trees begin to bloom in New England, our clean energy industry is also ready to blossom after decades of delays and setbacks. Last month Gov. […]
Posted inOpinion
Climate change law codifies environmental justice
MASSACHUSETTS RECENTLY took a significant step towards addressing the problem of climate change, passing An Act Creating a Next Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Policy. In addition to important provisions aimed at […]
Posted inOpinion
What’s missing from the climate change legislation?
THE TORTUOUS ROUTE in the state Legislature of the most recent incarnation of climate change legislation gives cause for concern on two counts. The first reflects a failure in governance […]
Posted inEnvironment
Baker signs climate change bill into law
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE IT TOOK BASICALLY all of the last legislative session and the first three months of the new one to get major climate policy signed into law, […]
Posted inEnvironment
Baker administration ‘very pleased’ with climate change bill
WITH BOTH BRANCHES of the Legislature approving climate change legislation by veto-proof majorities, the Baker administration on Thursday declared victory and signaled that the governor will sign the bill into […]
Posted inEnvironment
Senate passes climate change bill 39-1
THE MASSACHUSETTS SENATE passed climate change legislation on Monday by an overwhelming vote of 39-1, signaling the Legislature is unwilling to go along with several amendments sought by Gov. Charlie […]
Posted inEnvironment
Republican delays action on climate change bill
THE SENATE REPUBLICAN leader, raising concerns about an attempt by Democrats to push climate change legislation through the chamber quickly on Thursday, used a parliamentary maneuver to delay action until […]
Posted inEnvironment
Senate stands pat on climate change legislation
THE SENATE is preparing to pass new climate change legislation that accepts some minor technical changes proposed by Gov. Charlie Baker but rejects compromise language the governor proposed on several […]
Posted inUncategorized
Baker: We could do 2m doses a month but getting only half that
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER said on Wednesday that the state has the capacity to administer 2 million inoculations a month, but the federal government and  d vaccine manufacturers are providing only […]
Posted inNews Analysis
Poll shows support for both EVs, public transit
THE FUTUREÂ of transportation in Massachusetts is at a crossroads. As the debate between Gov. Charlie Baker and state lawmakers over the climate bill continues, one key issue is whether the […]
Posted inTransportation
State offers rebates on electric trucks
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE BAKER ADMINISTRATION is expanding the eligibility for an electric vehicle rebate program to include medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, hoping to capture some immediate environmental benefits […]
Posted inEnvironment
Baker moves on quickly from Ismay
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER quickly moved on Wednesday after the resignation of his top climate change advisor, declining to even thank him for his service. At a press conference at the […]
Posted inEnvironment
Baker takes more conciliatory tone on climate change bill
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER sent the Legislature’s twice-passed climate change bill back on Sunday with new, compromise language that strikes a more conciliatory tone and dials back some of his earlier […]
Posted inOpinion
Call for net zero homes is too costly
MASSACHUSETTS IS POISED to adopt sweeping climate legislation that will set ambitious goals for the Commonwealth to reduce emissions by 2050. No one doubts the importance of this effort or […]
Posted inEnvironment
Baker irked by undersecretary’s climate remarks
DAVID ISMAY, the Baker administration’s undersecretary for climate change, got into hot water with the governor on Friday after a video surfaced in which he appeared to say Massachusetts residents […]