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

There and Back: A Cross-Country Camping Trip in an All-Electric Vehicle

My wife Mary and I just returned from a 2-month, 8,181-mile winter camping road trip, traveling from Massachusetts to California and back in our 2019 Kia e-Niro fully electric (64 kWh battery) crossover SUV. Along the way we spent 58 nights in a tent with our two dogs, mostly in the desert southwest, so calling it “winter camping” needs to be qualified. For most of the nights, the temperatures were well above freezing, though there were definitely a few chilly nights at the end of January when we began our trip, and a few more out west, especially when camping at higher elevations.

ACT School Bus: Accelerating School Bus Electrification in the Commonwealth

A note from Green Energy Consumers Alliance: We are BIG fans of electric school buses. We’ve written about them on our blog, we advocate for state policy to make it easier for school districts to get them, and we educate community members on their benefits. We are very happy to feature this guest blog from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center on its school bus program, ACT School Bus.

School bus fleet electrification projects are on the rise nationwide, and new federal and state funding programs offer an opportunity for underserved public school districts to be some of the earliest adopters of electric school buses in the United States. In 2022, the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched the Clean School Bus Program, a rebate program that will provide $5 billion over the next five fiscal years (FY22 through FY26) to replace existing school buses with zero-emission and low-emission vehicles. EPA’s Clean School Bus Program, along with other state and federal programs, has the potential to deploy thousands of zero-emission school buses each year. MassCEC has launched a program called ACT School Bus to help Massachusetts school districts apply for and complement federal funding for electric school buses. Keep reading to find out how your school district can take action!

Electric Cars That Qualify for Federal Tax Credit to Change on April 18

Back in January, we reported that the federal government was delaying the implementation of the complicated new battery and mineral requirements for the federal tax credit for electric cars, known as the Clean Vehicle Credit. Last week, the Treasury Department released the guidance we’ve all been waiting for. Here’s what you need to know about these upcoming changes to the federal tax credit.

Massachusetts Adopts Clean Car Standards. Rhode Island... Slow-walks.

Today (March 31, 2023), the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced that Massachusetts has formally adopted the Advanced Clean Cars II standards (ACCII). This is great news – and a BIG thank you goes out to all of you who submitted comments in support of these standards at DEP’s hearing earlier this year! The ACCII standards will ensure that Massachusetts residents have access to the full range of electric vehicle model choices and that the Commonwealth phases out the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035. Rhode Island, meanwhile, is slow-walking on these important standards.

Rhode Islanders: Take Action for Clean Cars

Important legislation is being heard TODAY in Rhode Island that would direct the Ocean State to adopt advanced vehicle emissions standards out of California as long as they are more stringent than federal law. Adopting such standards, like Advanced Clean Cars II and Advanced Clean Trucks, is crucial to Rhode Island’s ability to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 45% by 2030, as required by an Act on Climate. Rhode Islanders can take action to support this important legislation by testifying at a hearing TODAY (Thursday, March 30) or submitting written comments. Here are all the details you’ll need.

The Latest IPCC Report & What It Means for Massachusetts & Rhode Island

On Monday, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)released its most recent report, whichstatesin no uncertain terms that we need to increase the pace of greenhouse gas emissions reductions. To avoid the worst effects of climate change, the IPCC report said we must reduce carbon emissions by two thirds by 2035.With the release of the report, United NationsSecretary General António Guterres called on developed nations to achieve net-zero emissions by as close to 2040 as possible, rather than the 2050 date that has been the standard – and the date around which Massachusetts and Rhode Island climate policy has developed. What does this latest international call for urgency and speed mean for our work here in Massachusetts and Rhode Island?

Transportation Electrification Bills That Matter in Massachusetts

Per the Clean Energy & Climate Plan for 2025 and 2030, Massachusetts must reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector 34% by 2030 for the economy as a whole to cut emissions in half compared to 1990. Last year’s climate bill made some good progress on this front: adjusting the state’s MOR-EV rebate, creating a fund to support the build-out of charging infrastructure, committing to a phase-out of new gas-powered cars by 2035, and setting timelines for MBTA bus fleet electrification. Though a promising start, there’s much more to be done. Here are the transportation electrification bills we’re prioritizing this legislative session. This list may change as the session progresses, but here’s what we have our eye on now.

Municipal Aggregation Comes to Rhode Island! Greener power at lower cost.

We're excited to announce the start of something good in Rhode Island. Seven cities and towns have adopted “green municipal aggregation” as a way to add more renewable energy to their electricity supply affordably. Here’s the Magnificent Seven: Barrington, Central Falls, Narragansett, Newport, Portsmouth, Providence, and South Kingstown. Better yet, starting in May, customers enrolled in these aggregations will pay a lower rate than what would be charged by Rhode Island Energy.

How on Earth will the grid handle all these heat pumps & EVs?

In the course of our work promoting the electrification of transportation and heating, we are often asked how the grid is going to hold up with the increased demand caused by heat pumps and electric vehicles (EVs). Recently, one of our favorite state legislators said he gets that question frequently too. So, here’s our response.

Phasing Out Fluorescent Light Bulbs Can Protect Health & Lower Energy Bills

Fluorescent lights are a common sight in offices, garages, and basements—but they contain toxic mercury and use far more energy than newer alternatives. By phasing out fluorescents in favor of efficient LED bulbs, Rhode Island and Massachusetts can avert a needless health risk, save families and business money on utility bills, and curb greenhouse gas emissions.