A LONG-BREWING fight over state energy policy moved into the spotlight on Tuesday as key players laid out their positions in what promises to be an interesting debate over the […]
Environment
Posted inEnvironment
Power grid copes with cold by burning oil, coal
THE NEW ENGLAND power grid on Tuesday coped with unusually cold temperatures and outages at several power plants and transmission lines by bringing additional power plants online and relying on […]
Posted inEnvironment, State House News Service
Baker approves solar, truck emission initiatives
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE With two of its key climate change policies dead or near-dead, the Baker administration approved two initiatives last week to incentivize the development of solar power […]
Posted inOpinion
Real work starting now at Pier 5
THE BOSTON PLANNING and Development Agency’s decision to reject the three proposals advanced for privatization of Pier 5 in Charlestown is welcome news, but now the real work begins. The […]
Posted inOpinion
Why we need to identify Green Zones
PRESIDENT BIDEN has signed an infrastructure bill that includes $21 billion for environmental remediation and $150 billion to boost clean energy and promote “climate resilience.” This money presents a tremendous […]
Posted inEnvironment
Baker: US offshore wind supply chain gaining traction
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER said the state’s latest offshore wind procurement shows the industry is moving into a new phase geared toward building an American supply chain. “It speaks to two […]
Posted inEnvironment
Despite good Brayton Pt. news, court fight continues
BRAYTON POINT in Somerset was a big winner in the state’s latest offshore wind power procurement, but that apparently doesn’t mean the legal infighting over use of the waterfront property […]
Posted inOpinion
A better way to pay for power grid infrastructure
MASSACHUSETTS HAS SET realistic goals for reducing carbon emissions by 2030, but it will be necessary to make regulatory and policy updates to achieve those benchmarks. Fortunately, the Massachusetts Department […]
Posted inEnvironment
Maine judge deals blow to Mass. climate change plan
A MAINE JUDGE dealt a blow on Thursday to a key Massachusetts initiative to address climate change by importing hydroelectricity via a 145-mile transmission line running from Quebec down to […]
Posted inPolitics
Chang-Diaz backs green new deal
ADVOCATES FOR a “green new deal” in Massachusetts gained another major backer on Thursday, as Democratic gubernatorial candidate Sonia Chang-Diaz came out in support of fare-free public transit and rapid deployment […]
Posted inEnvironment
Maine judge to rule quickly on transmission line injunction
MAINE DISTRICT Court Judge Michael Duddy said on Wednesday that he would rule in the next two days on whether to grant a preliminary injunction putting on hold a law […]
Posted inEnvironment
Grid operator nervous about energy constraints
THE HEAD OF THE New England power grid said on Monday that energy supply constraints in the region continue to make him nervous, and he said the situation has been […]
Posted inOpinion
Every electron is not neutral
WE NEW ENGLANDERS have a spectacular opportunity to move rapidly from polluting fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy. This transition will benefit us all: It will slow climate change, reduce […]
Posted inOpinion
Mass. urgently needs a Plan B for TCI
THE CANCELLATION of the Transportation Climate Initiative (TCI), a centerpiece of the Commonwealth’s efforts to combat climate change, is deeply disappointing, because transportation causes over 40 percent of all greenhouse […]
Posted inEnvironment
Power politics in Maine
MASSACHUSETTS OFFICIALS are counting on a Maine court to overturn a law passed in early November by 59 percent of Maine voters so a power line carrying hydroelectricity from Quebec […]
Posted inOpinion
Learning the ins and outs of charging your car
OVER THE NEXT few weeks, thousands of motorists will be traveling the highways of Massachusetts and beyond to see friends and family for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Amidst the […]
Posted inOpinion
Power grid operator needs a makeover
THE LARGEST OFFSHORE wind project in the nation is coming to the waters off Massachusetts, setting our Commonwealth up to be a global leader in clean energy that can deliver […]
Posted inEnvironment
Maine DEP suspends license of hydro transmission line
THE MAINE Department of Environmental Protection on Tuesday suspended the license it issued for a Massachusetts-financed transmission line carrying hydroelectricity from Quebec until a court either halts enforcement of or […]
Posted inEnvironment
Mass.-financed power line in Maine is a mess
AFTER A DAY-LONG Zoom hearing Monday on the proposed transmission line carrying hydroelectricity from Quebec into Maine, there is only one conclusion: What a mess. The transmission line, designed to […]
Posted inOpinion
Where women lead, a healthier world follows
MICHELLE WU is the first woman and first person of color elected to lead Boston and this, among other things, is a major victory for climate justice. She acknowledges the public […]
Posted inTransportation
Rhode Island makes it trifecta on TCI
CONNECTICUT GOV. NED LAMONT dropped out on Tuesday, Gov. Charlie Baker of Massachusetts called it quits on Thursday, and now Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee is pulling his state out of […]
Posted inOpinion
Baker’s new biomass rules are step backward
HERE’S A QUICK tip for greening our heat and power: if you need to set it on fire, it isn’t clean. That should be the guiding principle for the state’s […]
Posted inThe Download
A first step on offshore wind
Federal, state, and local officials gathered on Cape Cod Thursday for a ceremonial groundbreaking for Vineyard Wind, the first large-scale offshore wind farm in the United States. It was a […]
Posted inEnvironment
A first step on offshore wind
FEDERAL, STATE, and local officials gathered on Cape Cod Thursday for a ceremonial groundbreaking for Vineyard Wind, the first large-scale offshore wind farm in the United States. It was a […]
