The Unbearable Lightness of Energy Efficiency
In a national ranking for energy efficiency, Massachusetts is number 1 and Rhode Island is number 3. Neither is doing enough. Please hear me out.
Energy policy & advocacy (16)
.jpg?width=30&name=larry%20(1).jpg){kind=small}
Are we finally prioritizing climate? Senate Committee Releases Comprehensive Energy Bill
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).
Appliance Standards: The mightiest energy saver you’ve never heard of
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.
Federal Tax Credit in Jeopardy
As you may have heard, the existing federal tax credit of up to $7,500 for electric vehicles (EVs) would be repealed under the tax legislation filed in the U.S. House of Representatives with support from the White House last week.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.
.png?width=30&name=Blog%20Author%20Photo%20(2).png){kind=small}
Time & speed are of the essence: the cost of clean energy is not a speed bump
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.
Why Massachusetts needs both a Clean Energy Standard (CES) and an increase in the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS)
On August 11th, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) finalized several long-awaited regulations intended to help Massachusetts comply with the 2020 GHG emission reductions mandated by the Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA). The regulations, which were supposed to take effect on January 1, 2013, are several years overdue. That they come now is the result of a May 2016 decision by the state’s Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) and Executive Order 569 signed by Governor Baker last September.
Miles Behind Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goals: Electric Vehicle Policy Troubles
In recent weeks, policymakers in Massachusetts and Rhode Island have taken actions that will affect the states’ likelihood of meeting their stated goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Their actions, or inaction, in the transportation sector are especially worth noting.
Mobility Options for Everyone in the 21st Century
21st Century Mobility Runs on Electricity, the Greener the Better
We often write about the role of renewable energy in helping Massachusetts and Rhode Island ratchet down greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to meet the goals of the Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) and the Resilient Rhode Island Act. However, it is also true that climate compliance in our states, like elsewhere, hinges on the transformation of the transportation sector.
"Coal’s out” shouldn’t mean more gas is in.
Image courtesy of Dynegy Inc.
With the closure of the Brayton Point, coal generation in MA is officially a thing of the past, but will it be replaced with a 21st century solution or more of the same?
May 31st marked the end of an era in Massachusetts when Brayton Point, the state’s last remaining coal-fired power plant closed. Located in Somerset, the 1500 MW plant was the largest coal-fired generator in New England. Its closure was first announced in 2013 with owners citing costs associated with maintaining the decades’ old facility and coal’s inability to compete economically with natural gas.
New study confirms benefits to strengthening the Massachusetts’ Renewable Portfolio Standard
An Analysis of the Massachusetts Renewable Portfolio Standard, prepared by Synapse Energy Economics and Sustainable Energy Advantage, demonstrates that increasing the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard by 2% to 3% per year better positions the state to comply with the Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA), while reducing costs to consumers and creating jobs.
Press Release and full report are available online.