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

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Rhode Island Needs the Building Decarbonization Act

Calling all Rhode Islanders! We are nearing the end of our legislative session, and we are still pushing for the Building Decarbonization Act (H5493/...

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Electricity and the grid Rhode Island

National Grid’s Rate Increase in Rhode Island: Will it Transform the Power Sector?

Original artwork from Mass. College of Art and Design student, Erin MacEachern, created for People's Power & Light/Mass Energy

Rhode Island is actively adding more solar, electric vehicles (EVs), and other distributed sources of energy across the state. These clean technologies are essential to reach our greenhouse gas emission reduction goals and offer more choices to consumers. These sources also create unique costs and benefits, as well as new demands on our antiquated electric grid.

Picture of Larry Chretien Larry Chretien 
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Kat Burnham
Climate change

Local environmental advocacy is how we resist climate denial this Earth Day

EarthMonth18_blogHeader_4.6.18

As Bill McKibben so eloquently points out, the resistance to Trump, including his climate denial, will be local. That's why local environmental advocacy is crucial for Earth Day 2018.  And environmental advocacy doesn't have to mean petitioning in the streets, although it can. It can also mean helping a neighbor choose an electric car over a gas-powered one, or joining a committee in your community. 

You might be looking around for Earth Day activities. Here are 3 activities through which you and your neighbors can make a difference.

by Emma Walter
Electric vehicles/Transportation

The best electric car for you: we've got it.

Since we launched Drive Green with Mass Energy and People’s Power & Light in November of 2016, a lot has changed in the electric vehicle market. At launch, we had four electric vehicles (EVs) from three manufacturers available through the program. Now, we’ve got seventeen vehicles from ten manufacturers, and the list is growing all the time! As the options increase, finding the best electric car for you might seem like it’s getting more overwhelming too. But don’t you worry! Here’s a quick who’s-who of the top electric cars available through our program right now.

Picture of Anna Vanderspek Anna Vanderspek
Electric vehicles/Transportation

Electric cars are getting easier to charge

The question “but where will I charge?” is one of the biggest sources of apprehension among potential electric vehicle (EV) owners. We at Mass Energy and People’s Power & Light think it doesn’t need to be. After reading this blog post, we really hope that you’ll come to agree that:

  • For most of us, charging our electric car at home can be very easy.

  • Today, there are already a lot of places to charge away from home – probably a lot more than most people think. And they’re easy to find.

  • More public charging stations are being built every day and there are lots more coming in the next 3-5 years.

  • You won’t need to charge as often as you think. Today’s all-electrics have such large ranges that you likely won’t need to charge every night, and even the plug-in hybrids available today have ranges that exceed what most of us drive in a day.

Picture of Larry Chretien Larry Chretien 
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Picture of Anna Vanderspek Anna Vanderspek
Electric vehicles/Transportation Our programs

Even the experts come to the Drive Green program to buy or lease electric cars

Since November 2016, we have helped hundreds of people learn about and buy or lease electric cars at significant discounts. Consumers from all walks of life have come through the Drive Green program. But some of our members, as we like to call them, have expertise in fields such as energy, climate, and electric vehicles (EVs). Here’s what a few have to say.

Picture of Anna Vanderspek Anna Vanderspek
Renewable energy Electricity and the grid Guest blog/Member spotlight

Working Toward a Clean, Reliable Electric Grid

On January 17, 2018, ISO New England (“ISO”) released a draft of its Operational Fuel Security Analysis. This study lays out many different possibilities for a 2024/25 winter, assessing the electric grid’s reliability under a varying array of assumptions. ISO’s main finding is clear: adding more renewables and more imports, and increasing the availability of LNG deliveries and backup oil during supply emergencies, will all contribute to improved system reliability.

Picture of Patrick Knight of Synapse Energy Economics Patrick Knight of Synapse Energy Economics