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

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Transportation in the 2024 Massachusetts Climate Bill

A few weeks ago, we celebrated the passage of the 2024 climate bill in Massachusetts, An Act promoting a clean energy grid, advancing equity and...

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Heating Climate change Phasing out fossil fuels

Renewable Propane: A Reality Check

The propane industry has been advocating for the use of renewable propane to reduce emissions for their customer base. According to 2022 American Community Survey estimates, 153,000, or about 5 percent, of homes across Massachusetts and Rhode Island use propane as their primary heating fuel. That is a large enough number to take a close look at what renewable propane is all about. This blog provides a brief introduction to the fuel, if it will ever be affordable, and its climate impacts.  

Picture of Carrie Katan Carrie Katan
Electric vehicles/Transportation

The Economics of Battery Supply Chains: Paving the Way for Electric Vehicle Expansion

The electric vehicle revolution is well underway, promising a greener, more sustainable future for the automotive industry. However, despite the growing popularity of electric vehicles (EVs), several significant hurdles are obstructing their widespread adoption. At the forefront of these challenges are supply chain issues, particularly concerning critical components like batteries. Among the most pressing concerns is the heavy reliance on rare and essential minerals, including lithium, cobalt, and nickel, which are indispensable for battery cathodes. We’ve written before about the human rights and environmental issues with mineral mining, and that’s something we’re continuing to learn about. This blog post is more focused on the economic side. Though the supply chain for these vital materials is far from stable, and the necessary infrastructure is not yet fully developed, the last year has seen some significant progress – particularly thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act.

Picture of Ezra Messinger Ezra Messinger
Electric vehicles/Transportation Electricity and the grid

Electric Cars & Costs to the Grid

As more and more people switch from gas-powered cars to electric vehicles (EVs), we hear a lot of questions along the lines of “can the grid handle it?” Sometimes that question is about supply and emissions (i.e. will we have enough clean energy resources to supply all the kilowatt-hours of electricity those EVs will need?), sometimes it’s about reliability (can the infrastructure handle it?), and sometimes it’s about costs. We've written before about how we have time and tools to prepare for this transition. This blog specifically addresses the question of the grid costs of increased EV adoption.

Picture of Anna Vanderspek Anna Vanderspek
Energy policy & advocacy

RGGI’s Third Program Review: Charting a Path Towards Zero?

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a cap-and-invest program among Northeastern and mid-Atlantic states to reduce CO2 emissions from the power sector, is currently undergoing its third program review. This means the participating states, including Rhode Island and Massachusetts, are collectively examining the successes, impacts, and design of their CO2 budget trading programs, and considering updates to the program design. We see this third program review as a real opportunity to strengthen RGGI in a way that would significantly and equitably drive down power sector emissions and have been following the process closely. We have been told that the process will conclude by the end of the year. Here is what we know:

Picture of Amanda Barker Amanda Barker
Massachusetts Electric vehicles/Transportation Phasing out fossil fuels

Demand Charge Alternatives for EV Charging in Massachusetts

Back in January, we wrote aboutthe approval by the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) of $400 million for electric vehicle (EV) charging in Massachusetts. Since then, both National Grid and Eversource have rolled out new incentives for both infrastructure upgrades and charging hardware. (Our incentives pagedetails the incentives available to residential consumers; see this pagefor commercial incentives).In addition to approving these programs to address the upfront costs of installing charging, the DPU approved a new program through 2032 to address ongoing costs for commercial entities (including municipalities): specifically, demand charges.

Picture of Anna Vanderspek Anna Vanderspek
Energy policy & advocacy Electric vehicles/Transportation Rhode Island

What’s Needed in Rhode Island Energy EV Filing

We have been attending Rhode Island Energy’s (RIE’s) quarterly Power Sector Transformation sessions for a few years to learn about and advise on electrification initiatives in the state. At the most recent session, we learned that Rhode Island plans to submit an Electric Vehicle Program Filing with the PUC this Fall. Given that transportation is the largest source of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions in the state, RIE’s EV programming will be a key piece of Rhode Island’s approach to meeting the emissions reduction mandate of the Act on Climate. Recognizing this important role, we submitted this memoto key stakeholders detailing what we think RIE EV programs must include to result in adequate emissions reductions. Below are our four main points:

Picture of Amanda Barker Amanda Barker
Energy policy & advocacy Heating Phasing out fossil fuels

Biodiesel & the Clean Heat Standard

In previous blogs, we expressed strong support for a Clean Heat Standard (CHS) as a policy to decarbonize the building sector. We have also expressed vehement opposition to the notion put forth by gas utilities of allowing renewable natural gas and hydrogen to be considered clean heat. This blog covers the question of whether biodiesel ought to be given credit as clean heat when blended with regular heating oil. Biodiesel is a renewable, biodegradable fuel manufactured from vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled restaurant grease.

Picture of Larry Chretien Larry Chretien
Energy policy & advocacy Massachusetts Electric vehicles/Transportation

Massachusetts Electric Car Charging Council Issues Report

Last month, we published a blog encouraging residents of Massachusetts to send in comments to the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Coordinating Council (EVICC) as it was preparing its initial assessment for the Legislature. Dozens of you responded and sent in your thoughts on the state of electric vehicle (EV) charging in Massachusetts – thank you! Now, EVICC has published its Initial Assessment. Here’s what’s in that report and what's next.

Picture of Anna Vanderspek Anna Vanderspek
Electric vehicles/Transportation

The Bolt is Back! (Well, it will be.)

By far one of the most popular cars in the Drive Green program, the Chevy Bolt not only boasts a good electric range (259 miles) but is currently one of the most affordable electric vehicles (EVs) on the market (starting at $26,500 before incentives). This year has seen a ton of changes for the Bolt: first, we heard that the Bolt would be discontinued, but now, GM has announced they’re bringing it back. Here’s what we’ve learned.

Picture of Devan DiLibero Devan DiLibero
Massachusetts Electric vehicles/Transportation

Three Big Changes to Massachusetts’ Rebate for Electric Cars

The wait is over! Massachusetts just announced three new changes to the state rebate program for electric cars, MOR-EV, that will make electric vehicles (EVs) more accessible to more people in Massachusetts. All three changes stem from last year’s climate law, which included several provisions to make EV access more equitable in the Commonwealth.

Picture of Anna Vanderspek Anna Vanderspek