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 […]
Environment
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 WUÂ 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 LAMONTÂ 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 […]
Posted inEnvironment, Transportation
Baker pulls the plug on transportation climate initiative
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER threw in the towel on his transportation climate initiative on Thursday just days after Gov. Ned Lamont of Connecticut did the same thing in his state. “The […]
Posted inOpinion
Canadians call for new era of power grid diplomacy
FORMER QUEBEC premier Robert Bourassa passed away 25 years ago last month. In his 1985 book, Power from the North, he presented a passionate, articulate, and convincing argument to pursue […]
Posted inEnvironment, Opinion
What’s next after stunning Maine rebuke
LAST TUESDAY’S stunning rebuke by Maine voters of a utility transmission project has dramatic implications for Massachusetts’ clean energy and climate strategy. The so-called New England Clean Energy Connect transmission […]
Posted inOpinion
Mass. climate agenda takes Election Day hits
ONE OF THE MOST consequential results for Massachusetts from last Tuesday’s election actually occurred in Maine. By a margin of approximately 59-41 percent, Maine residents voted to prohibit Central Maine […]
Posted inEnvironment, State House News Service
Utilities defend energy efficiency plan
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE GETTING MORE people to adopt electric heat sources in place of fossil fuel-powered sources is a crucial part of the effort to meet the state’s new […]
Posted inOpinion
Getting to yes on electricity transmission infrastructure
Second in a series ANY VISION of the future decarbonized power system is sure to include hundreds of wind turbines dotting the Atlantic Ocean to power homes and businesses across […]
Posted inOpinion
Why Maine voters did Mass. a favor
THE GOOD PEOPLE of Maine have done Massachusetts’ electric ratepayers a solid, as the expression goes. On Tuesday, Maine voters approved Question 1 on their ballot by a nearly 60-40 […]
Posted inEnvironment
Stalled Maine hydro power line raises concerns
WITH A PROPOSED Maine transmission line financed by Massachusetts electricity ratepayers heading to court, officials gathering at a conference in Boston on Thursday raised concerns about the region’s ability to […]