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

Are you getting greenwashed by your electricity supplier?

Been hearing from "green electricity" suppliers like CleanChoice Energy? You want to support the generation of electricity from renewable sources, but how do you know if a green power program will use your dollars to speed our transition to clean energy? How would you know whether your purchase of green power is actually contributing to shifting the mix of electricity that powers our electric grid away from fossil fuels?

These are valid questions that we, as a non-profit energy organization working in Massachusetts and Rhode Island and offering a program that allows you to make the switch to renewable energy, get asked every day. So here it is: Green Power Bootcamp, in a blog.

Massachusetts energy bill passes House and Senate, heading to Governor Baker's desk for signature

Massachusetts lawmakers vote to pass H.4857, An act to advance clean energy. The final bill was released from conference committee late Monday afternoon.

Landfills become solar power zones in northern Rhode Island

Solar projects have been popping up all over Rhode Island. This has been due to the enhancement of the Renewable Energy Standard and the Renewable Energy Growth program, as well as a recent call from Governor Gina Raimondo to have 1,000 Megawatts of renewable energy within the state by the end of 2020. We are excited about the possibilities these policy measures create for new, properly-sited projects.

Raise the Renewable Portfolio Standard

This piece written by Eugenia Gibbons and Deborah Donovan was originally published by Commonwealth Magazine on July 15, 2018.

Nonprofit review: EnergySage for solar

As a non-profit focused on both climate change and consumers, we have noticed that the complexity of solar contracts and cost of solar panels prohibit some people from moving forward with solar installation.

For years we have helped consumers to install solar by interpreting state programs, teaming up with state and municipal programs like Massachusetts Solar Connect, and even buying solar RECs from projects built before 2010. Now we've vetted an all-in-one solution that we're excited to share with our members and friends: EnergySage. Together, we're helping more and more people install solar.

Is it a good time to install solar in Rhode Island?

In March 2017, Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo announced a statewide initiative to increase the amount of clean energy by 10 times by 2020. That means that  Rhode Island is set to achieve a total of 1,000 MW by 2020.  Just in time for these important commitments, we're partnering with EnergySage to make it easier for everyone to install solar. Homeowners and business can contribute to the 1,000MW goal with smart investments in clean energy, like rooftop solar.

The countdown is on! But several key energy issues still need to move through the Legislature before July 31.

 

With less than a month to go in the legislative session, several clean energy bills have yet to be decided. The following could use an extra push to get over the finish line.

Boston’s Renewable Energy Play

Earlier this month, Boston's Mayor Walsh called for cities around the country to explore a group purchase of renewable energy, apparently for municipal buildings and streetlights. The hope is that a lot of purchasing power could support the construction of large-scale and low-cost clean energy. According to news accounts, the cities might jointly buy from one or more facilities that could be located anywhere in the U.S. Boston City Hall plans to finalize a list of partnering cities and issue a request for information to renewable energy developers late in the summer.

Introducing "Shave the Peak": A New Way to Green the Grid

At Green Energy Consumers, we talk a lot about the importance of energy efficiency and conservation. But, for a few hours every year, reducing our energy usage becomes especially important: on the hottest and coldest days of the year, energy use is the highest and electricity is dramatically more expensive and polluting. These high-demand days are called peak days, and we’re calling on our members to help us Shave the Peak by taking straightforward steps to reduce energy usage for a few hours on these days.

Electric cars for urban apartment dwellers?

For months I watched with envy all the great deals on electric cars available through Drive Green with Mass Energy. As an urban apartment dweller without a driveway, I figured an electric vehicle (EV) just wasn’t in the realm of possibility.