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

Planes, Trains, Cars, and Boats

This week, I’m headed to a conference in the Big Apple to talk about how we need to electrify transportation and heating. I looked at my options for getting there. Flying was the quickest, but emitted the most. And inspired in large part by 16-year old climate activist, Greta Thunberg, I couldn’t choose a plane. I thought about taking my wind powered Chevy Bolt, but I didn’t want to drive through the city and Brooklyn doesn’t need another car. So I will be on Amtrak. Maybe I’ll get some work done while riding. There’s a good chance I will nap.

Talking about climate change helps fight climate change

Here at Green Energy Consumers Alliance, we believe in practical ways for people to make green energy choices. You’re probably already aware that there are dozens of decisions you can make in your life to reduce your carbon footprint. But the carbon footprint of other people? As described in the news recently, it turns out that we can get others to act on climate by simply talking with them about it.

Fast Charging - the Final Piece of the Charging Puzzle

Most drivers have probably had at least one experience in which they asked themselves, “Am I going to run out of gas?” Range anxiety, or the fear a car will run out of fuel before it reaches its destination, is not unique to electric cars. It is, however, a commonly-cited reason that drivers use to justify driving gasoline-powered cars when their electric counterparts are cheaper to own, better for the environment, and more fun to drive.

Good things happen when you smart charge your electric car.

It’s imperative that we all switch from internal combustion engines to electric cars for several compelling reasons. The most important is that reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions enough to save the planet depends upon it. But what’s particularly exciting is: we can magnify the benefits of EVs by managing when we charge them.

Massachusetts' Electric Car Rebate is Winding Down

Earlier this week, officials from the Baker administration announced plans to extend Massachusetts Offers Rebates for Electric Vehicles (MOR-EV) through September 2019 when, absent new funding, the program will come to an end. Eliminating this popular incentive now moves Massachusetts in the wrong direction and will make meeting our ZEV goals (300,000 EVs by 2025) that much more challenging. 

EV Charging 101

In my previous blog post, I wrote about the role better battery technology could have in the proliferation of electric cars. Cheaper batteries will lower electric vehicle (EV) sticker prices while improving range.

But range isn’t the only figure that matters. If you believe that there is going to be a day where most vehicles are powered by electricity (like we do at Green Energy Consumers), then understanding charging is crucial to plan for this future and make sure our infrastructure can meet the demand. As more consumers consider buying an EV, understanding the basics of EV charging will help assuage “range anxiety” and make the transition smoother. So, what’s important to know about EV charging?

Carbon impacts of flying got you down?

For a couple decades now, we've offered consumers an easy way to have their electricity usage met by renewable energy. That's simple — just plug some wind and solar into the grid. But how about air travel? Although progress is being made on electric planes (you read that right), it will be a while before you get on a jet powered by batteries. But we need to mitigate the impacts of flying because those impacts are real, huge, and growing.

Better Battery Technology - the Tipping Point for EV Adoption?

The 21^st century brought us faster processing speeds and smaller processors, spurring a glut of electronic devices. Many of these products are battery-powered and portable, like cell phones, laptops, e-readers, and smart watches, all sporting a longer battery life with each new generation of devices. So where do electric cars fit into our increasingly electrified world, and how much does battery technology need to improve so that they become the new norm?

Cutting carbon out of your daily commute

With the transportation sector contributing 39.7% of state carbon dioxide emissions in Rhode Island and 49.4% in Massachusetts, we find the topic of transportation emissions especially urgent. Getting places requires energy, right? But some ways are less carbon intensive than others. We at Green Energy Consumers wanted to share the ways in which we all commute to work. And we would like to emphasize one thing above all else - it's essential that public transportation be given more support by all of us - politicians, taxpayers, those who use use public transit, and those who do not. When buses and subways work well, we all benefit.

Why I Switched to an Electric Vehicle