On Tuesday, June 25, the Mass. State Senate passed, by a vote of 38-2, An Act Upgrading the Grid and Protecting Consumers. We appreciate the Senate’s good work. They’re doing the right thing for consumers by banning retail electricity suppliers. They’re supporting EV adoption. And they are authorizing the Department of Public Utilities to regulate gas utilities in alignment with our climate mandates.
If you’re a New Englander concerned about climate change, you’re likely anxiously awaiting the results of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island’s joint offshore wind solicitation. With recent supply chain and economic constraints causing project costs to rise, the three states issued a joint solicitation to allow developers to bid on larger projects and access economies of scale in October of 2023. They received the following proposals in March of this year.
Recent polling conducted by MassInc on behalf of Rewiring America and Green Energy Consumers Alliance shows strong public support for regulating gas utilities in ways that are compatible with the Commonwealth’s climate laws. The public also supports efforts aimed at switching from fossil fuel heating to electrification.
The Massachusetts State Senate was planning on voting on a major energy and climate bill this week but a Republican Senator hasexercised their right to delay the vote. The Senate will now vote onTuesday, June 25. If you have not already, take five minutes today to let your Senator know you support the bill and certain key amendments.
This summer, we are excited for the release of several new electric vehicles and our Car Corner series will cover all the new updates you need to know! With so many new options to choose from, selecting the right electric vehicle (EV) for you can be tough, but we’re committed to providing you with all the necessary information to make a knowledgeable decision.
The Act on Climate is one of the strongest climate policies in the nation, mandating that Rhode Island reduce its emissions 45% by 2030 and net-zero by 2050. However, the law is not self-implementing. For the state to meet these targets, it must implement additional policies, especially in the building sector, which accounts for nearly 40% of the state's greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Despite this significant contribution to GHGs, Rhode Island lacks a clear, actionable plan to decarbonize buildings.
In Massachusetts, customers of Eversource, National Grid, and Unitil receive electricity bills that are split into two sections: distribution (or delivery) and supply. The distribution section pays for the utility that physically puts up the wires that move power. When it comes to the supply side of bills, Massachusetts is one of a minority of states that allows residential customers to buy their electricity supply in three ways, from their utility (also known as basic service), from their community through a municipal aggregation plan, or a third-party supplier sometimes called a “competitive supplier.” Even when a customer has chosen to get their supply from a municipal aggregation program or a third-party supplier, they almost always receive one bill sent by their distribution utility with charges for both distribution and supply.
UPDATE JUNE 6 2024: The Building Decarbonization Act urgently needs your help to pass in the House!
Call the Governor & Speaker:
Please take action by calling Governor McKee and Speaker Shekarchi’s offices before Friday, June 14! Speak to a staff member, or leave a message. They will be tallying your calls!
Governor McKee's office: (401) 222-2080
Speaker Shekarchi's office: (401) 222-2447
Here's what to say:
"Hello, my name is [Name], and I live in [City/Town], RI. I am calling to ask Speaker Shekarchi to support the Building Decarbonization Act (H-7617, and S-2952) and sign it into law this session."
There are weeks not months left in Rhode Island’s 2024 legislative session, which means we must act urgently to pass crucial legislation for climate.
This year, our top priority is the Building Decarbonization Act (H7617/S2952), as Rhode Island is not currently on track to achieve the emissions reductions required by the Act on Climate, and that is especially true in the building sector which makes up over a third of the state's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Way back in July 2022, we published a blog announcing QARI Drives Green, our two-year partnership with Quincy Asian Resources, Inc, better known as QARI. Our partnership was funded through a grant from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center through its Accelerating Clean Transportation For All (ACT4All) program. Now, nearly two years later, that particular grant has run its course, so it’s time to celebrate what we’ve achieved and look to what’s next!
As spring 2024 unfolds, we have some good news: more vehicle models are now eligible for the federal tax credit than when the list changed on January 1. The U.S. Department of Energy recently released a new list of EVs that receive between $3,750 and $7,500 in federal tax credit. And with the updates in the IRS guidelines for 2024, this credit can now be taken at point of sale, so the savings are instantaneous at IRS-registered dealerships.
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