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Is There Such A Thing As Too Much DC Fast Charging?

It’s no secret that we are big fans of electric vehicles (EVs) here at Green Energy Consumers Alliance – they have lower operational costs over their...

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Electric vehicles/Transportation Electricity and the grid Phasing out fossil fuels

Is There Such A Thing As Too Much DC Fast Charging?

It’s no secret that we are big fans of electric vehicles (EVs) here at Green Energy Consumers Alliance – they have lower operational costs over their lifetimes, and they are central in curbing greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector. Yet, many prospective EV buyers have not made the switch because of concerns about charging, especially when it comes to long-distance travel. While DC Fast Chargers have been deployed at unprecedented rates, some people are concerned about the impacts of fast charging on battery health. Below, we will dispel some of the most common concerns about DC Fast Charging and share some pointers for preserving your EV’s battery. 

Picture of Elise Mizerak Elise Mizerak
Energy policy & advocacy Massachusetts Heating Phasing out fossil fuels

Why We Should Axe The Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard

Massachusetts has some great, and sometimes nation-leading, energy programs; the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard (APS) is not one of them. That’s why we are excited that Governor Healey has proposed phasing out the APS by 2028 as part of H.4144, An Act relative to energy affordability, independence and innovation, which she filed back in May.

Picture of Carrie Katan Carrie Katan
Energy policy & advocacy Massachusetts Electricity and the grid Energy efficiency Heating Climate change

Lower Electricity Rates for Heat Pumps? Yes, please!

Widespread adoption of heat pumps is essential to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, and the important interim greenhouse gas reduction goals by 2030. However, for many households, high electricity costs remain a barrier to making the switch. To address this, the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) has ordered the state’s three investor-owned utilities (IOU’s - Unitil, National Grid, and Eversource) to introduce seasonal heat pump rates, offering discounted electricity for heat pump users during the winter months, a concept Maine has already implemented.

Picture of Amanda Barker Amanda Barker
Energy policy & advocacy Electricity and the grid Energy efficiency

Midsummer Observations About Shaving the Peak

As part of our Shave the Peak program, we’ve been aggregating data released by ISO-New England, the non-profit Independent System Operator with a responsibility to maintain reliable electricity to the six New England states. Every day, we track various stats, including when and what the peak demand was, when and what the most expensive price of electricity was, how high CO2 emissions reached, what the fuel mix looks like, etc.

Picture of Maya Mastro Maya Mastro
Renewable energy Massachusetts Electricity and the grid Green municipal aggregation Rhode Island

Municipal Aggregation Keeps on Winning: Greener Power at Lowest Cost

From time to time, we report on how municipal aggregation is going in Massachusetts – and soon, Rhode Island. It’s that time again. For about 90% of the customers in each state, consumers have three choices for their electricity supply – the utility’s Basic Service, municipal aggregation if their community has adopted that model, or retail service from a (often predatory and greenwashing) competitive electricity provider.  All of these customers receive delivery service (poles, wires, metering, billing) from regulated investor-owned utilities; the difference lies in the electricity supply. The remaining 10% of customers receive power supply from municipal utilities.

Picture of Larry Chretien Larry Chretien 
 and
Mikaela Hondros-McCarthy
Electricity and the grid Energy efficiency Climate change

Hot Days Ahead! Time To Shave The Peak.

As summer approaches, thousands of our followers prepare to “Shave the Peak.”  

Shave the Peak is our program designed to inform people, via text and email alerts, how and when to reduce power use on days when electricity demand is significantly higher than usual. As we begin to see temperatures rise above 90°F this summer, skyrocketing demand on the power grid leads to an increase in fossil fuel consumption and wholesale prices (which ultimately get passed onto retail customers – us).

Picture of Larry Chretien Larry Chretien 
 and
Picture of Maya Mastro Maya Mastro
Energy policy & advocacy Electric vehicles/Transportation Rhode Island Action Alert

Rhode Island: Say “No” to Electric Vehicle Registration Fees

Calling all Rhode Islanders! The House budget was released last Tuesday and included electric vehicle (EV) registration fees (p. 6) for battery electric, plug-in hybrid, and hybrid electric vehicles. While the bill has been passed by the House and heads to the Senate floor for a vote on Friday, we encourage you to contact your legislators and let them know why you oppose these fees or that you are concerned with how they will impact you. We will walk you through the outreach steps later in this blog.

Picture of Tina Munter Tina Munter
Energy policy & advocacy Rhode Island Climate change

Rhode Island Needs the Building Decarbonization Act

Calling all Rhode Islanders! We are nearing the end of our legislative session, and we are still pushing for the Building Decarbonization Act (H5493/S91) to be voted out of committee and passed by the House and Senate. Read on to learn why this bill is critical for Rhode Island, and if you’re interested in supporting the bill, check out this blog post for more directions.

Picture of Tina Munter Tina Munter