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

Heads up: the federal EV tax credit for toyota is about to phase out

Important update: The new federal tax credit set up by the Inflation Reduction Act means this blogpost is out-of-date as of January 1, 2023. Check out our Rebates & Incentives page for the latest!

If you are looking to purchase an electric vehicle from Toyota, like the Toyota Prius Prime or the Toyota RAV4 Prime, you should know that the federal tax credit will soon start phasing out. The federal tax credit is capped at 200,000 electric vehicles (EVs) sold per manufacturer and Toyota is expected to reach this cap before June 2022. Here’s what this means if you’re in the market! 

Heating Oil Consumers Are Facing a Crisis Next Winter

Although Spring is in the air and we have so many current events of great importance, there’s reason to think about how difficult next winter will be for heating oil consumers. For months, we have seen rising energy costs – natural gas, electricity, and gasoline.  But this blog is about the heating oil market as it would affect consumers in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and the rest of New England.  Consider this to be an open letter to our federal delegations to Congress, Governor Baker, Governor McKee, and state legislators.  Heating oil in New England has been well over $5 per gallon since March, over two dollars higher than last winter. Unless it gets a lot better, the price of heating oil will cause misery for hundreds of thousands of families.

RI, Get Ready: the EV Rebate is Coming Back

This summer, the RI Office of Energy Resources is planning on launching DRIVE EV, an incentive program to help drivers access electric vehicles (EVs). This program is desperately needed, as Rhode Island has the lowest EV adoption rate in all of New England (and much of the US). Here’s what you need to know.

Real People, Real EVs

If you are on the lookout for a new set of electric wheels, you have probably been met with frustration and low inventory. But we urge you to keep the faith, as EVs are well worth the wait. Not convinced yet? Continue reading to see what EV owners think of their cars.  

Changes in Store for the Massachusetts State EV Rebate Program

If you’re looking for an electric car, you are likely looking for rebates and incentives to help you make the switch too. We have a whole page on our website to explain the federal tax credit (up to $7,500) and Massachusetts state rebate (MOR-EV) for electric vehicles (EVs). This year, there are some exciting changes on the horizon regarding state EV incentives.

Getting to 100% Green Electricity: It’s only a matter of when.

Green Energy Consumers Alliance has a long history, going back to 1997, of supporting Renewable Energy Standards (RES), a policy that requires electric suppliers to deliver renewable energy. These mandates have worked in a large number of states to bring wind and solar power onto the grid, dramatically reducing its carbon intensity. Today, we can appreciate the immense potential our region has for offshore wind that delivers clean, affordable power to the states and creates jobs. In 2022, we see both the opportunity and necessity for the Bay State and Ocean State to leverage the power of the RES and the potential of offshore wind to make sure we meet our 2030 climate goals. We urge policymakers in both states to up the RES to 100% clean electricity by 2030. We further support policy that will accelerate offshore wind procurement. Offshore wind and 100% by 2030 are like peanut butter and jelly: good alone, but much better together.

What the MA Senate Climate Bill Says About Phasing Out Gasoline

The Massachusetts Senate made big news last week by passing a massive climate bill that tackles transportation, buildings, and our electricity supply. This bill is supposed to put the pedal to the metal so that the state has the policies it needs in place to achieve the emissions reduction targets included in last year’s Climate Roadmap bill: first and foremost, a 50% reduction in economy-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions under 1990 levels by 2030. Here’s what this bill means for our efforts to phase out gasoline in Massachusetts – and the key next steps.

Another Great Year for Climate Legislation in Massachusetts? Apparently. Let’s Hope.

In 2021, Governor Baker signed comprehensive climate legislation called An Act Creating a Next Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Policy. That law set a more aggressive timeline for mandatory emissions reductions (50% by 2030, net-zero, and 85% by 2050), strengthened the definition of “environmental justice communities”, and will definitely impact the state. But while the ink is barely dry, it certainly appears that the House and Senate are moving towards yet another significant climate bill to send to the governor sometime in the next two to three months.

Exploring with Absolute Confidence

For the past three years, my spouse and I have been enjoying our retirement by taking extended camping and paddling trips throughout the Northeast, driving our 2019 Kia e-Niro EV. In this blog, we’ll use our most recent trip as an example of a typical two-week camping/paddling adventure, discuss all the gear we pack onto and into the car, and how we avoid suffering from any range anxiety.

Daily Beast: "Green" competitive suppliers are a rip-off

"I want to make sure that my electricity is coming from coal," said no one ever.

Renewable energy is different in that people do want to make sure it's on the grid, in ever increasing numbers. That's why so many people think about buying green electricity, and why they get duped by competitive electricity suppliers.

Our Executive Director Larry Chretien is quoted in a recent article by the Daily Beast that tackles the topic of competitive electricity suppliers, their shady practices, and their greenwashed products. Here we've reposted his comments from the article, and we recommend you read the whole thing.