STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE DESPITE THE OBJECTIONS of Attorney General Maura Healey, the Baker administration, and local advocacy groups, federal regulators approved the transfer of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station […]
Electricity
Posted inOpinion
2 views on Vineyard Wind delay
INITIALLY, MEMBERS of the Massachusetts congressional delegation were harshly critical of the Trump administration for putting off a decision about the environmental impact statement of Vineyard Wind, the 800 megawatt […]
Posted inEnvironment
Vineyard Wind layout tough issue for regulators
VINEYARD WIND’S TURBINE LAYOUT is likely one of the sticking points that prompted federal regulators late last week to expand their environmental review of the wind farm to include an analysis […]
Posted inEnvironment
Feds call for more study on Vineyard Wind
IN A DECISION that could derail Vineyard Wind, federal regulators on Friday put their review of the project on hold temporarily while they seek to better understand the cumulative impact […]
Posted inOpinion
Time to put an end to whack-a-mole electricity sellers
Attorney General Maura Healey’s office issued a new report on Thursday indicating that consumers who signed on with competitive electricity suppliers between July 2017 and June 2018 paid $76.2 million […]
Posted inUncategorized
Offshore wind price protection eliminated
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER and the Legislature on Wednesday rushed through a measure that eliminates the state requirement that the next offshore wind contract come in at a price lower than […]
Posted inThe Download
Pacheco raises concerns on offshore wind pricing
Sen. Marc Pacheco of Taunton raised an interesting policy issue on Monday when he spoke out against a provision in the Legislature’s budget that would tweak the way the state […]
Posted inEnvironment
Pacheco raises concerns on offshore wind pricing
SEN. MARC PACHECO of Taunton raised an interesting policy issue on Monday when he spoke out against a provision in the Legislature’s budget that would tweak the way the state […]
Posted inEnvironment
Feds: Vineyard Wind review window ends in 2020
THE FEDERAL AGENCY evaluating the environmental impact of Vineyard Wind provided no explanation for its decision to extend the time period for review beyond Friday, but noted it has until […]
Posted inEnvironment
Unsettling news for Vineyard Wind
VINEYARD WIND, the company seeking to build a large wind farm off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, faced some uncertainty on Wednesday after federal regulators said they wouldn’t be taking […]
Posted inOpinion
Don’t end competitive electricity market
IN 1998, MASSACHUSETTS made the groundbreaking decision to deregulated the electricity industry – declaring for themselves that they should have the right to choose their electric supplier. Now, more than […]
Posted inEnvironment
Despite emissions concerns, Hydro-Quebec contracts OK’d
THE MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC UTILITIES on Tuesday approved massive hydro-electricity contracts between the state’s three utilities and Hydro-Quebec, rejecting arguments from a broad range of skeptics questioning the environmental […]
Posted inOpinion
Hydro power is good, but safeguards needed
MASSACHUSETTS IS ON THE FRONT LINES of the climate crisis. Residents are already grappling with the effects of a changing climate on the coasts and in our communities. In response […]
Posted inEnvironment
Crowd-sourcing energy efficiency
EVERSOURCE ENERGY on Wednesday began offering businesses and homeowners incentive payments ranging from $20 to $1,000 a year if they allow the company to tap into devices that would allow […]
Posted inEnvironment
Mass. to double offshore wind procurements
THE BAKER ADMINISTRATION is pushing ahead with plans to double the procurement of offshore wind power over the next several years, a move that will increase wind’s share of the […]
Posted inOpinion
Get ready for another biomass battle
REMEMBER THE BIG FIGHT about biomass as renewable energy in Massachusetts in the mid-2000s? We’re in the middle of another one. About 10 years ago, the Massachusetts Renewable Portfolio Standard […]
Posted inOpinion
DPU failing to protect Mass. consumers
MASSACHUSETTS UTILITY CUSTOMERS who switched to competitive electricity suppliers paid $177 million more over a two-year period than if they had stayed with the local utility company (National Grid, Eversource, […]
Posted inEnvironment, Transportation
How does that T energy efficiency program work?
THE MBTA plans to spend about $30 million over the next three years on energy efficiency measures, with more than 40 percent of the cost covered by $12.5 million in […]
Posted inOpinion
Don’t repeal the offshore wind price cap
MASSACHUSETTS LAWMAKERS showed some healthy skepticism about the workings of corporate America back in 2016 when they mandated that giant offshore wind farms would be part of the Commonwealth’s energy […]
Posted inEnvironment
DPU gives $168m offshore wind bonus to utilities
THE MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC UTILITIES approved multibillion dollar offshore wind contracts with Vineyard Wind on Friday and, over the objections of Attorney General Maura Healey, authorized the state’s three […]
Posted inUncategorized
Baker makes few changes in offshore wind RFP
THE BAKER ADMINISTRATION on Thursday unveiled the request for proposals it wants to use on its next offshore wind solicitation, which hews pretty closely to the terms of the previous […]
Posted inEnvironment
SE Mass. officials seek “tweak’ in wind policy
NEARLY 50 ELECTED AND BUSINESS officials from southeastern Massachusetts are urging the Baker administration to tweak the contracting process for the next offshore wind procurement to give a greater emphasis […]
Posted inEnvironment, State House News Service
Mass. hydro project showers benefits on Maine
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE ROAD HAS BEEN CLEARED of significant hurdles for the New England Clean Energy Connect project to bring clean hydropower from Quebec to Massachusetts, and Maine […]
Posted inEnvironment
Grid operator laments lack of action on carbon pricing
THE CEO OF THE REGION’S power grid operator indicated on Wednesday that he was surprised at the reluctance of New England states to embrace a price on carbon. Many of […]