THE OPERATOR of New England’s power grid reported on Tuesday that it secured enough electricity to meet the region’s needs three years from now at the lowest price in 14 […]
Energy
Posted inEnvironment
Vineyard Wind facing lots of hurdles
A FEDERAL REGULATOR speaking at a conference in Boston on Tuesday posted a slide suggesting Vineyard Wind would be operational in 2023, but the company itself is not saying whether […]
Posted inOpinion
Hunger and the clean energy transition
TWO EVENTS that made the news recently caught my attention. Both highlight one of the most important challenges we’re tasked with solving as we commit to a cleaner energy future. […]
Posted inOpinion
My hunger strike yields some progress
LAST WEDNESDAY, I concluded a two-week-long hunger strike to spotlight public safety violations at the construction site of the Weymouth Compressor, a new fossil fuel facility planned for Boston’s South […]
Posted inEnvironment
Good news, bad news on offshore wind
THE OFFSHORE WIND INDUSTRY took one step forward and one step backward on Tuesday. The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said its review of the Vineyard Wind offshore wind […]
Posted inOpinion
Sargent’s actions 50 years ago resonate today
LEADERSHIP MANIFESTS itself in many ways. In Massachusetts, in my lifetime, one of the most powerful displays of leadership came from a Republican governor. It happened 50 years ago, and […]
Posted inEnvironment
Mass. lawmakers, Trump administration spar over Vineyard Wind review
NINE MEMBERS of the Massachusetts congressional delegation asked the General Accountability Office to investigate whether the Trump administration’s extended environmental review of the Vineyard Wind project reflects a bias against […]
Posted inUncategorized
Tallying up climate change tradeoffs
Trinity Episcopal Church in Stoughton is discovering that fighting climate change requires some tradeoffs. The church wants to reduce its carbon footprint, so it recently began exploring whether it would […]
Posted inThe Download
Tallying up climate change tradeoffs
Trinity Episcopal Church in Stoughton is discovering that fighting climate change requires some tradeoffs. The church wants to reduce its carbon footprint, so it recently began exploring whether it would […]
Posted inEnvironment
For offshore wind, expect more delays
FEDERAL AGENCIES ASSESSING the environmental impact of Vineyard Wind are now expecting the long-delayed process to wrap up sometime in December, according to a top Baker administration official. The Vineyard […]
Posted inEnvironment, State House News Service
Report raises gas utility safety issues
State House News Service and CommonWealth A PANEL REVIEWING the physical integrity and safety of the state’s natural gas distribution system found a gap exists between the way gas utilities […]
Posted inOpinion
Picking apart Rep. Kearney’s fishy argument
YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED a fishy odor from a recent CommonWealth article. It was the smell of red herring, served in an opinion piece by state Rep. Patrick Kearney. On […]
Posted inEnvironment, Politics
7 takes on Senate climate change debate
IN BUSINESS-LIKE FASHION, the Senate passed a sweeping package of climate change legislation on Thursday night that sets a net-zero target for greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, creates an independent […]
Posted inOpinion
Healey: Stop individual residential electricity sales
THE COMPETITIVE ELECTRIC SUPPLY INDUSTRY has overcharged Massachusetts consumers for far too long. We’ve all seen these companies in action. They go door-to-door, send letters in the mail, and call […]
Posted inOpinion
Baker’s net-zero goal is business-as-usual
ON TUESDAY, two notable public figures gave public addresses on the topic of climate change, illuminating the bridge that exists between what society needs to do to tackle climate change, […]
Posted inEnvironment
Net-zero target called most aggressive in world
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER’S top energy aide said his proposal for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 puts Massachusetts among a very small group of states and countries attempting to limit […]
Posted inEnvironment
Mayflower Wind, without contract, moving ahead
Mayflower Wind still doesn’t have a final contract for its offshore wind farm off the coast of Nantucket, but it appears to be moving ahead with the project anyway in […]
Posted inOpinion
Mass. Clean Energy Center needs more funding
OVER 111,000 PEOPLE WORK in Massachusetts’ dynamic clean energy economy, due to a powerful combination of leading policies, strong talent, and key institutions. At the center of this dynamic industry is the […]
Posted inEnvironment
Massachusetts needs a Net Zero building code
IN MASSACHUSETTS, buildings contribute to nearly half of all carbon pollution when accounting for electricity, heating, and cooling. In many cities and towns, especially urban centers, buildings can produce more […]
Posted inEnvironment
Fishermen, wind farm developers at odds
A GROUP REPRESENTING New England fishing interests on Tuesday called for special travel lanes through offshore wind farms proposed off the coast of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, putting the fishermen […]
Posted inEnvironment, Opinion
Parity for renewables is key to energy tax policy
THE CLIMATE CRISIS is the most pressing issue of our time — and increasingly it’s an intractable one. Nowhere is this borne out more in Massachusetts than on Cape Cod, […]
Posted inUncategorized
Activists block coal-carrying train for hours
CLIMATE ACTIVISTS USED AN UNUSUAL METHOD Thursday night to stop a delivery to the largest coal-fired plant in New England — erecting scaffolding directly on the tracks. A group of […]
Posted inOpinion
New York ruling is a warning to Healey
A NEW YORK JUDGE last week soundly rejected a lawsuit by that state’s Attorney General that cuts the legs out from climate lawsuits by Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and other governments. The New York […]
Posted inState House News Service, Uncategorized
Offshore wind tax credit doesn’t make cut
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE CLIMATE ADVOCATES and industry groups were critical of the US House this week after a long-term extension of a tax credit designed to assist offshore wind […]
