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

Critical Action Alert: Clean Vehicle Rules Under Attack

Automakers and the fossil fuel lobby have been campaigning across the country to undermine, delay, or destroy key regulations to reduce pollution from vehicles. In the next few days, it’s critical we all take action to defend these regulations to protect public health and fight climate change.  We don't mean two weeks from now. We mean now.

In this blogpost, we’ll cover how to take two actions (each will only take 3 minutes!) and then provide more context on what’s going on below. If you take action, email us at drivegreen@greenenergyconsumers.org to let us know!

Charge Your Electric Car Off-Peak in Massachusetts & Save

When you charge your electric car matters. Charging when overall demand for electricity is low reduces costs and emissions for the electric grid as a whole. For years, we’ve advocated for better “smart charging” programs from our electric utilities to incentivize electric vehicle (EV) owners to charge their cars off-peak.In addition to utility programs, EV drivers in Massachusetts can participate in the Clean Peak Standard to earn rewards for charging off-peak.

What The Car Tariffs Mean for EVs

On March 26, 2025, President Trump announced 25% tariffs on imports of both cars and car parts, throwing global supply chains into chaos. On April 2, he announced additional import tariffs, at different levels for different countries. The situation is evolving rapidly. In this blog, we'll cover what this all means for electric vehicle (EV) adoption.

Attend a Public Hearing on EV Charging in Massachusetts

Almost two years ago, we wrote a blog about the first report produced by the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Coordinating Council (EVICC) in Massachusetts. Now, EVICC is gearing up to write its second report – and wants to hear from you! There are four public hearings, in person and virtual, coming up for you to share your experience and ideas. If you have an EV or are thinking about getting one, you probably have an opinion on what the state could do to improve EV charging infrastructure.

How To Get The Federal Tax Credit For Electric Vehicles

April 3 Update: We recently learned that the IRS has re-opened the portal through which dealers can submit time-of-sale reports, so if you are one of the people who purchased an electric vehicle in 2024 but did not receive the crucial time-of-sale report with which you file Form 8936, reach out to the dealership or store you purchased from and ask them to submit that time-of-sale report!

Back in November 2024, we wrote about the incoming federal administration’s intention to do away with the federal tax credit for electric vehicles (EVs). We’re now well into tax season in 2025, and the federal tax credit is still in existence — for now. However, we do have important news to share, whether you bought an EV in 2024 or are considering buying one in 2025.

Four Takeaways from the EPA’s Automotive Trends Report

Every year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) releases an Automotive Trends report to highlight shifts in total emissions, fuel economy, vehicle performance, and other data from the nation’s light-duty vehicle fleet. The 2024 report (released in January 2025) showed some stark differences with past automotive trends, dating back to 1975. Here’s what we learned from reading the report.

Listen Up! Our Green Energy Podcast Is Finally Here

We are excited to launch the Consumers for Climate Podcast, now available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music! This podcast reflects our mission to empower consumers and communities to make energy choices that speed a just transition to a zero-carbon world.

Action Alert: Oppose the Rhode Island Electric Vehicle Fee

Recently, electric vehicles (EVs) have been in the news because various states around the country – including our very own Rhode Island – are introducing extra registration fees for EVs. Though in some cases these fees are clearly punitive and motivated by politics, these registration fees are being justified as a way to balance out the fact that EV drivers don’t pay the gas tax. Here at Green Energy Consumers, we oppose a special EV registration fee – it's a disincentive to electrify at a time when we need to replace combustion engines as quickly as possible with EVs. However, the question of how to fund our roads and bridges is a fair one. It’s just way bigger than EVs versus gas cars.

Fish Can Ride Electric, Too

For the past year or so, we’ve been working with fisheries businesses up and down the Massachusetts coast to learn what they’re already doing to reduce their energy costs and emissions, and to help them find new energy and emissions saving opportunities. Many companies are interested in solar and energy efficiency, and increasingly they are considering electric vehicles (EVs). Since we all need a good news story, here’s a cool video of one fisherman who’s made the switch to an EV truck for his business! 

Take Action at the MA DPU for EV Charging Programs

Way back at the beginning of 2023, we reportedon the approval by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) of new electric vehicle (EV) programs by the electric utilities National Grid, Eversource, and Unitil. Together, the utilities got the OK to spend more than $400 million on helping to build out EV charging infrastructure over the next four years. We are now halfway through that program, and the utilities have just filed “Mid-Term Modification Proposals” with the DPU. You have the right to weigh in at the DPU – here's everything you need to know.