Is the RI budget good for climate action?
RI’s administration needs to get real on climate funding, because the Governor’s budget doesn’t.
An open letter to the Massachusetts Clean Heat Commission
As the Boston Globe recently reported, the Baker administration has appointed a “Clean Heat Commission” (CHC) charged with making recommendations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from the building sector. To the appointees, we humbly ask that you consider this open letter.
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Survey: MA residents are ready for a smarter electricity system
The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU), the government body responsible for overseeing the operation of gas and electric utilities, is considering proposals by National Grid and Eversource to modernize the electric grid and support the buildout of EV charging infrastructure.
Stand up for Clean Trucks!
Updated March 2022 - If you’re a Massachusetts or Rhode Island resident, you may have taken action in February in support of heavy-duty vehicle electrification. Medium- and heavy-duty trucks not only contribute to climate change but also release nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) which are hazardous to human health. Massachusetts is considering adopting two important regulations coming out of California that will help bring down these emissions – the Advanced Clean Trucks rule (ACT) and the Heavy-Duty Omnibus rule (HDO). (Rhode Islanders, we need you to push for the adoption of these rules too!) Here’s everything you need to know to make your voice heard in either state.
Drive Green: A Year in Review
There’s no doubt about it, 2021 was a rough year for the auto industry and consumers looking for a car. The industry has suffered from the chip shortage, other supply chain issues, and not to mention the Chevrolet Bolt battery issues resulting in a stop-sale. As a result, prices rose across the board for both new and pre-owned vehicles, inventory has been scarce, and new model years have had their release dates postponed.
Best Green Energy Blogs & Webinars of 2021
Our non-profit organization is committed to educating people about climate-friendly behaviors and technologies. We're also advocates for excellent climate policies in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Here are our most useful and popular blogs and webinars of 2021.
If you love the work we do, please consider making a contribution today to keep it going in 2022!
Our New Tool to Help You Find a Used EV
When we launched our Drive Green program back in November 2016, if you wanted an electric car, your only option, essentially, was to buy a new car. Yes, there were some older Nissan LEAFs available, but not many, and they didn’t have a whole lot of range. Fast forward five years and things have changed – there are more electric vehicle (EV) models on the market, and more and more of them are coming off three-year leases, which means, finally, a used EV market is growing. If you’re looking for a used EV, we have a new tool to help you find it.
In Memory of Malcolm Brown, New England's first wind power hero (and mine, too)
If you know Green Energy Consumers Alliance, you know we are really into wind power. That’s because wind power is abundant and the lowest cost, zero-emission energy available. Today, the talk is all about huge off-shore wind farms. But to get to this point, things had to start in the beautiful coastal town of Hull, Massachusetts. And with an amazing character named Malcolm Brown. Sadly, Malcolm passed away recently. But he remains in my memory and if you’re into wind power, please read on.
Electric Cars and Mineral Mining
Electric Vehicles & Mineral Mining: What We’ve Learned
People often ask us about the raw materials in electric vehicle (EV) batteries, their implications on human rights and the environment, and what’s being done to lessen the impact. We are also concerned about these issues. As an organization doing state-based work, we are not experts in the global supply chain questions at the heart of these concerns. However, we are determined to educate ourselves and share what we learn. As a first foray, we’ve taken a deep-dive into one metal – cobalt – since it is the focus of most of the questions we receive. Here is what we’ve found.
Sparky’s Electrifying Tale – a great children’s book you should check out for the holidays
Green Energy Consumers Alliance has been working closely with our friends on the West Coast, a nonprofit called Coltura, on policies to phase out gasoline. That’s serious work for grownups. But Coltura has also produced a great new children’s book, “Sparky’s Electrifying Tale”.