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

Hot Days Bring More Energy Demand, More Air Pollution, and More Harm to our Health

During periods of extreme heat, higher electricity demand is met with dirty, inefficient fossil fuel electricity generation. At the same time, heat exacerbates the effects of pollution because high temperatures and sunlight trigger chemical reactions that transform emissions from tailpipes and power generation into smog, creating unhealthy levels of ground-level ozone. The additional air pollution contributes to climate change and worsens local air quality. The health and environmental impacts of climate changing emissions are becoming more prevalent as extreme weather days occur more often.

Good things happen when you smart charge your electric car.

It’s imperative that we all switch from internal combustion engines to electric cars for several compelling reasons. The most important is that reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions enough to save the planet depends upon it. But what’s particularly exciting is: we can magnify the benefits of EVs by managing when we charge them.

Massachusetts' Electric Car Rebate is Winding Down

Earlier this week, officials from the Baker administration announced plans to extend Massachusetts Offers Rebates for Electric Vehicles (MOR-EV) through September 2019 when, absent new funding, the program will come to an end. Eliminating this popular incentive now moves Massachusetts in the wrong direction and will make meeting our ZEV goals (300,000 EVs by 2025) that much more challenging. 

EV Charging 101

In my previous blog post, I wrote about the role better battery technology could have in the proliferation of electric cars. Cheaper batteries will lower electric vehicle (EV) sticker prices while improving range.

But range isn’t the only figure that matters. If you believe that there is going to be a day where most vehicles are powered by electricity (like we do at Green Energy Consumers), then understanding charging is crucial to plan for this future and make sure our infrastructure can meet the demand. As more consumers consider buying an EV, understanding the basics of EV charging will help assuage “range anxiety” and make the transition smoother. So, what’s important to know about EV charging?

Summer Is Coming: Time to Shave the Peak

Here in Boston and Providence, temperatures finally cracked 70 degrees. It’s true: summer is coming!

But with high summer temperatures comes high electricity demand. The bad news is that, between 5pm and 8pm on peak electricity demand days, the electrical grid operator turns on dirty, expensive power plants that sit unused the rest of the year. The good news is that you can help fight dirty energy on peak days by reducing your electricity usage during peak hours. Sign up for Shave the Peak alerts at greenenergyconsumers.org/shavethepeak so that you’ll know when to turn off your air conditioner, lights, and appliances.

Carbon impacts of flying got you down?

For a couple decades now, we've offered consumers an easy way to have their electricity usage met by renewable energy. That's simple — just plug some wind and solar into the grid. But how about air travel? Although progress is being made on electric planes (you read that right), it will be a while before you get on a jet powered by batteries. But we need to mitigate the impacts of flying because those impacts are real, huge, and growing.

Better Battery Technology - the Tipping Point for EV Adoption?

The 21^st century brought us faster processing speeds and smaller processors, spurring a glut of electronic devices. Many of these products are battery-powered and portable, like cell phones, laptops, e-readers, and smart watches, all sporting a longer battery life with each new generation of devices. So where do electric cars fit into our increasingly electrified world, and how much does battery technology need to improve so that they become the new norm?

The New England Wind Fund: a fossil fuel killer

About twenty years ago, our non-profit organization stepped into the voluntary green power market, hoping to speed up the pace of wind & solar development. A lot has changed for the better since then, but we’ve still got a long way to go.

Cutting carbon out of your daily commute

With the transportation sector contributing 39.7% of state carbon dioxide emissions in Rhode Island and 49.4% in Massachusetts, we find the topic of transportation emissions especially urgent. Getting places requires energy, right? But some ways are less carbon intensive than others. We at Green Energy Consumers wanted to share the ways in which we all commute to work. And we would like to emphasize one thing above all else - it's essential that public transportation be given more support by all of us - politicians, taxpayers, those who use use public transit, and those who do not. When buses and subways work well, we all benefit.

Why I Switched to an Electric Vehicle