On March 26, 2025, President Trump announced 25% tariffs on imports of both cars and car parts, throwing global supply chains into chaos. On April 2, he announced additional import tariffs, at different levels for different countries. The situation is evolving rapidly. In this blogpost, we'll cover what this all means for electric vehicle (EV) adoption.
We're thrilled to share our 2024 Annual Report, a testament to the power of community and unwavering commitment to a zero-carbon world. Amidst challenging national headwinds, our supporters and donors have been essential to our continued success.
On March 10th, the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission held a public hearing on electricity rates. The hearing was picked up by several news outlets and some excerpts from the news coverage were disseminated through social media. We heard one thing that we suspected was wildly incorrect. While covering this hearing, John Perik of NBC 10 News stated that “clean energy costs” on the electric bill were going to rise 43%, and it implied that those charges were the main reason that electricity delivery charges were going up. We will explain why the implications in that statement are incorrect.
Almost two years ago, we wrote a blog about the first report produced by the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Coordinating Council (EVICC) in Massachusetts. Now, EVICC is gearing up to write its second report – and wants to hear from you! There are four public hearings, in person and virtual, coming up for you to share your experience and ideas. If you have an EV or are thinking about getting one, you probably have an opinion on what the state could do to improve EV charging infrastructure.
It’s no secret that the Trump administration poses a significant challenge to the offshore wind industry in the United States. On the first day of his second term, Trump issued an Executive Order halting all permitting and lease sales for the technology. Nonetheless, offshore wind remains imperative to not only meeting our climate goals, but ensuring energy independence, jobs, and local economic growth. Rhode Island and Massachusetts have been at the forefront of the US offshore wind industry, and as the federal government presents new challenges, it is now more important than ever that our states continue to lead and do everything they can to support this vital resource.
April 3 Update: We recently learned that the IRS has re-opened the portal through which dealers can submit time-of-sale reports, so if you are one of the people who purchased an electric vehicle in 2024 but did not receive the crucial time-of-sale report with which you file Form 8936, reach out to the dealership or store you purchased from and ask them to submit that time-of-sale report!
Back in November 2024, we wrote about the incoming federal administration’s intention to do away with the federal tax credit for electric vehicles (EVs). We’re now well into tax season in 2025, and the federal tax credit is still in existence — for now. However, we do have important news to share, whether you bought an EV in 2024 or are considering buying one in 2025.
Every year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) releases an Automotive Trends report to highlight shifts in total emissions, fuel economy, vehicle performance, and other data from the nation’s light-duty vehicle fleet. The 2024 report (released in January 2025) showed some stark differences with past automotive trends, dating back to 1975. Here’s what we learned from reading the report.
“Seize the day” might be a good mantra if you’re exploring your options for reducing your energy costs in 2025. While there is potential for changes to energy programs at both the local and federal levels, there are many incentives currently still available. Don't let fears about the future dissuade you from proceeding with projects that pencil out with the incentives in place when it comes time for you to decide on your project.
We are excited to launch the Consumers for Climate Podcast, now available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music! This podcast reflects our mission to empower consumers and communities to make energy choices that speed a just transition to a zero-carbon world.
(Rhode Islanders – this is a story about Massachusetts, but it applies to the Ocean State just as well, given the Act on Climate.)
Mass Save is the Commonwealth’s major energy efficiency program. It’s jointly administered by the investor-owned gas and electric utilities and the Cape Light Compact. Gas and electricity ratepayers pay into the program, which includes information, services, and incentives. On February 28, the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) issued an order for Mass Save’s 2025-2027 Three Year Energy Efficiency Plan subject to some modifications and directives, including a $500 million reduction to the proposed $5 billion budget. In the order, the DPU wrote that the cut was made to protect ratepayers from excessive bill impacts. There’s a lot to unpack on the order.
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