We launched Drive Green with Mass Energy and Drive Green with People’s Power & Light in November 2016 and have been rolling along merrily ever since. Here’s what’s new with our program and the world of electric vehicles (EVs) overall.
Municipal Aggregation is easier than it sounds. Mass Energy’s new paper explains the nuts and bolts of this bulk purchase of electricity and ways in which several Massachusetts communities are using the GMA model we helped to design to drive demand for new renewables while reducing their own carbon footprints.
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.
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.
Earlier this week, the Massachusetts Senate Committee on Global Warming and Climate Change released a comprehensive omnibus energy bill, An act to promote a clean energy future: to protect our public health, create jobs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The bill is a compilation of several pieces of legislation filed this session, including the important RPS & the Appliance Efficiency Standards bills, but it also reflects public input provided during a series of Clean Energy Conversations that Committee Chair Marc Pacheco hosted throughout the spring and summer. Several of the bills have received favorable recommendations from the joint energy committee of the House and Senate (read more about this below).
When it comes to combatting climate change, energy efficiency is our first line of defense. It is an abundant, low-cost resource capable of curbing demand, reducing emissions, and saving consumers money. When we hear “energy efficiency,” insulation and weatherization, lightbulbs and power strips immediately come to mind; but energy efficiency takes many forms, which is why appliance standards just may be the best climate and energy policy tool you’ve never heard of.
As you may have noticed, it's gotten to be *really* cold recently. Electric vehicle (EV) performance does change in winter, but so does that of gas-powered cars.
We’ve been saying for a while that communities should exercise their right to choose their electricity supply because it’s a cost-effective way to increase renewable energy content. Today we have further proof that Green Municipal Aggregation (GMA) or Community Choice Energy (CCE), whatever you want to call it, works!
As you may have heard, the existing federal tax credit of up to $7,500 for electric vehicles (EVs) would be repealed under the tax legislation filed in the U.S. House of Representatives with support from the White House last week. If the tax bill is passed in its current form, the EV tax credit would be available for 2017 purchases but not for 2018 and beyond. We strongly oppose the repeal of the EV tax credit. If you are concerned too, please contact your US Representative and express your feelings. But honestly, we know that the Massachusetts and Rhode Island delegations will be opposed to the tax bill for several reasons.
Massachusetts and Rhode Island are nationally recognized as clean energy leaders. The gains made to date are impressive, but mitigating climate change necessitates even more substantial investment in efficiency, renewables, and emerging technologies.
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