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

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

 

More Affordable Heat Pumps

With our long, cold winters, we New Englanders face a stiff challenge to reduce our carbon footprint and still heat our homes. One tool that will be crucial to meeting this challenge is the heat pump. For many homes, they are already cost-effective. For others, that day is coming.

"Charging Ahead" Webinar Overview

On March 14, 2019, Green Energy Consumers held a webinar about upcoming initiatives, programs, and policies related to electric vehicle (EV) charging in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. If you weren't able to make it, or you attended and want a review, I've highlighted the key points in this blog post. 

Paying for climate change adaptation doesn’t require short-changing investments in energy efficiency

Proposals to fund resilience and adaptation were floated as part of Governor Baker’s FY20 Budget. One approach would modify the real estate transfer tax. The other approach would expand to adaptation and resiliency the use of dollars currently dedicated for energy efficiency (mitigation) in Massachusetts. When it comes to combating climate change, investments in adaptation/resilience and mitigation should complement, rather than compete against each other.

Want a Chevy Bolt or Volt? Get it before April 1st.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offers a federal tax credit of $2,500 to $7,500 per new electric vehicle (EV) purchased in the United States. Right now, both the Chevrolet Volt and Chevrolet Bolt qualify for the full $7,500 federal tax credit. However, as of April 1^st, the credit will be cut to $3,750 as the tax credit phases out for General Motors vehicles. If you want a Bolt or a Volt, we highly recommend you get it before April 1^st to take full advantage of this incentive.

New report explains the challenges, opportunities and impacts of Green Municipal Aggregation

Community Choice Aggregation: Challenges, Opportunities, and Impacts on Renewable Energy Markets is the latest report released by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Highlighted in the report are the benefits that aggregation delivers to communities: savings and price stability. But the report also sheds light on how Community Choice Aggregations are reshaping the dynamics of customer electricity supply and demand. Here we summarize NREL’s findings.

Most recent climate action report adds another measure of accountability to the mix

Carbon Free Boston, the latest in a series of climate action reports released in Massachusetts, further affirms that there are clear steps we should be taking now to mitigate climate change. The challenge remains in turning studies to action.

What’s New with Drive Green Webinar Overview

Did you miss the “What’s New with Drive Green” webinar, but still want to know what’s new with Drive Green? We have you covered. Below is a brief overview of what we went over during our February 12^th webinars.

Turning Diesel Fuel into Green Transportation: States use VW funds to add more charging stations and electric buses

Massachusetts and Rhode Island have both announced plans on how they intend to spend funds coming from the national Volkswagen “dieselgate” settlement. We’re seeing some solid ideas on how the states can use the VW settlement money to reduce air pollution from diesel fuel. This development is akin to turning swords into plowshares. While it’s horrible that VW deceived governments throughout the world about emissions from its diesel engines, there will be two lasting benefits from the settlement. Firstly, car-makers appear to be reducing their commitment to new diesels, as VW’s experience highlights the impossibility of making low-emission diesel vehicles. Secondly, the VW settlement money will help greatly to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles.