ONE OF THE ORIGINAL ARCHITECTS of the declining price cap on offshore wind solicitations is now calling on the Baker administration to scale it back. Robert Rio, senior vice president […]
Plugging In
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 inUncategorized
Perfect port an elusive goal for East Coast offshore wind
NORTHEAST SEAPORTS ARE inadequate to meet the needs of the offshore wind industry, and ideas for filling that gap could create tension between the sometimes competing goals of those overseeing […]
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, State House News Service
State: New toxins data don’t change stance on Weymouth gas facility
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE DESPITE CONCEDING that a handful of samples showed concentrations of toxins above standard limits, state regulators believe a new batch of air-quality data does not change […]
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 inOpinion
Debunking the fracked gas fairy tale
IN APRIL, Tom Andrews wrote an opinion piece that appeared in CommonWealth calling for more fracked gas energy, claiming it “plays a critical role when it comes to cost and […]
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 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 inOpinion
We need both renewables and natural gas
RENEWABLE ENERGY and natural gas aren’t an “either/or” choice for New England: Now and for years to come, they’re a “both/and” necessity to ensure we have a reliable, affordable energy […]
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
DeLeo proposes $1b in municipal climate investments
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE HOUSE SPEAKER ROBERT DELEO proposed a sweeping $1 billion environmental grant program Friday that, over the next decade, would fund municipal efforts to build renewable-energy infrastructure […]
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 […]
Posted inEnvironment, Politics
Vineyard Wind, backed by Baker, plays power politics
A SHARP-ELBOWED GAME of power politics surfaced publicly on Thursday as it became clear that Vineyard Wind, backed by Gov. Charlie Baker, had sought and failed to participate more fully […]
Posted inEnvironment
Homeowners, via Sunrun, participate in N.E. electricity auction
A SAN FRANCISCO COMPANY participated in this week’s New England electricity auction, agreeing to provide 20 megawatts of power from its 5,000 customers in the region. Sunrun Inc, participated in […]
Posted inEnvironment
Electricity storage takes key role in energy efficiency plan
STATE REGULATORS on Wednesday approved utility plans to spend nearly $2.8 billion of ratepayer money over the next three years on initiatives designed to curb energy consumption in the aggregate […]
