The Energy Consumer's Bulletin- a New England energy news blog

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Transportation in the 2024 Massachusetts Climate Bill

A few weeks ago, we celebrated the passage of the 2024 climate bill in Massachusetts, An Act promoting a clean energy grid, advancing equity and...

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Posts by

Anna Vanderspek

Drive Green Program Director

Energy policy & advocacy Electric vehicles/Transportation

Green Energy Consumers' Statement on MOR-EV Program Extension

On December 6, 2018, the state of Massachusetts announced that it will extend the popular electric vehicle (EV) rebate program, Massachusetts Offers Rebates for Electric Vehicles (MOR-EV) through June 30, 2019. However, as of January 1, 2019, the rules of the program will change: only battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) with a sales price under $50,000 will qualify for the rebate, which will drop from $2,500 to $1,500. Though we applaud the state’s efforts to extend this important incentive, we know the Commonwealth needs to be doing more to spur electric vehicle adoption.

Picture of Anna Vanderspek Anna Vanderspek
Electric vehicles/Transportation

The best electric car for you: we've got it.

Since we launched Drive Green with Mass Energy and People’s Power & Light in November of 2016, a lot has changed in the electric vehicle market. At launch, we had four electric vehicles (EVs) from three manufacturers available through the program. Now, we’ve got seventeen vehicles from ten manufacturers, and the list is growing all the time! As the options increase, finding the best electric car for you might seem like it’s getting more overwhelming too. But don’t you worry! Here’s a quick who’s-who of the top electric cars available through our program right now.

Picture of Anna Vanderspek Anna Vanderspek
Electric vehicles/Transportation Our programs

Even the experts come to the Drive Green program to buy or lease electric cars

Since November 2016, we have helped hundreds of people learn about and buy or lease electric cars at significant discounts. Consumers from all walks of life have come through the Drive Green program. But some of our members, as we like to call them, have expertise in fields such as energy, climate, and electric vehicles (EVs). Here’s what a few have to say.

Picture of Anna Vanderspek Anna Vanderspek
Electric vehicles/Transportation Our programs

Drive Green with Mass Energy and People’s Power & Light is here to stay!

It’s no fun taking away the punch bowl just as the party was getting good, so we decided that Drive Green with Mass Energy and People’s Power & Light, our newest program, is here to stay, rather than ending on June 30 as we previously indicated. Our board of directors voted unanimously to keep the program going. We see it as a great way to achieve our mission of making energy more sustainable and affordable. When we launched the program on November 2, we had a good feeling that it would go well and, truth be told, it has. We’re proud to say that over 130 people have purchased or leased electric cars, dozens more are in the process, and more people are registering every day. And the comments we have received from shoppers have been very positive. One thing that really makes us happy is when a new owner sends us a testimonial talking about how much they love their car or how they enjoyed our program. We know we’re not yet perfect, but we are confident we’re on the right track.

Picture of Anna Vanderspek Anna Vanderspek
Energy efficiency Climate change

Electric Vehicles as a Public Health Tool

We talk a lot about the need to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels to fight climate change. We run programs and support policies in an effort meet our states' greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals: in Massachusetts, the statutory requirements of the Global Warming Solutions Act, in Rhode Island, the Resilient Rhode Island Act. With our climate going haywire (see the record-setting droughts, floods, and heat waves of 2016) and the emissions reductions of electric vehicles, climate change is one of the reasons we launched Drive Green with Mass Energy and People's Power & Light. But, setting climate change aside for a moment (a big ask, we know), replacing internal combustion engines on our roads with electric vehicles should still be a state priority. Why?

Picture of Anna Vanderspek Anna Vanderspek
Renewable energy Energy policy & advocacy

Solar Panels, SRECs, Double-counting, Oh My!

Thanks to New England’s relatively strong solar policies, many of our members have gone solar – by owning panels, leasing panels, or participating in community solar programs. To those of you who have gone solar – congrats! However, even though you’re generating solar power, you’re probably not consuming the solar power you generate. In other words, even if you have solar panels or are participating in community solar, you cannot necessarily make the claim that you’ve reduced your personal greenhouse gas emissions as a result.

Picture of Anna Vanderspek Anna Vanderspek