New England's Heating Oil Crisis: Why Heat Pumps Are The Smart Switch
For several months, we have seen multiple news reports about the dramatic increase in gasoline and diesel prices...
Heating
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Fossil Fuel Subsidies, A Price Spike, & Governor Healey’s Changes To The APS
Massachusetts created the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard (APS) back in 2008 to subsidize several technologies and actions, which, in theory, are supposed to help the Commonwealth reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. One might think of it as a strange cousin of the more sensible Renewable Portfolio Standard, which drives wind and solar development. In practice, the APS likely makes little to no impact on the state’s emissions because most of its subsidies go to natural gas-burning combined heat and power systems and biofuels, both technologies with negative to unclear impacts on emissions.
Rising Fuel Prices Make Mass Save More Important Than Ever
In the Bay State, the legislature is grappling with the question of how much to spend on the efficiency program known as Mass Save. This blog is mostly about that debate and how it affects about 20 percent of the homes in Massachusetts heated by oil, but the basic point being made here applies equally to the other New England states: state energy efficiency programs are our best defense against the harsh and frequent vicissitudes that plague the oil market.
Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission Made Some Good Calls
After a several-month process, on Friday, August 21, the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission (PUC) made several decisions in response to a rate increase request from Rhode Island Energy (RIE). This rate case was primarily about what RIE would charge for distributing electricity and gas (think poles, wires, and pipelines). It did not affect the supply of gas or electricity. Overall, the decisions are good for ratepayers and will support the Ocean State’s efforts to comply with the 2021 Act on Climate.
New Energy Options For All
The energy system is changing. Emerging Distributed Energy Resources (DERs)—like smart thermostats, window heat pumps, battery storage, and plug-in solar—can all help households lower energy bills, improve resilience, and support a cleaner, more affordable electric grid.
Natural Gas-Fired Power Is Not Getting Any Cheaper
Retail electricity prices keep rising everywhere, causing pocketbook anxiety among consumers and political anxiety among elected officials. Some of our public servants suggest cutting back on clean energy commitments to make energy affordable. They are obviously being egged on by disinformation campaigns run by the fossil fuel industry. Nonetheless, it is becoming increasingly clear that New England’s overdependence upon natural gas for heat and electricity is one of the main energy cost drivers (along with overspending on utility infrastructure and their profits).
Newest Energy Bill Out In Massachusetts: Call Your Rep!
The House Ways and Means Committee has just put out a new version of their energy bill, H.5151, which is expected to be voted on by the full House this Thursday. This bill, while a massive improvement over what left the House Telecommunications Utility and Energy Committee in November, is still a mixed bag. Though it removes many of the previous bill’s worst provisions and improves consumer protections for electricity customers, it would still impose draconian cuts on the Mass Save program. Yet again, we need you to take action by calling your representative!
What new energy technologies are you interested in? We’ve got a short survey!
At Green Energy Consumers Alliance, we believe everyone should be able to benefit from the clean energy transition.
Heat Pump Water Heaters: Essential For Climate Action & Now Cost Competitive
In the fight against climate change, figuring out efficient and clean ways to heat water for showers, laundry, and dishwashing is a crucial part of reducing emissions. For the average New England household, domestic water heating accounts for 17% of the home’s annual energy usage. Replacing water heaters is also one of the most frequent and costly maintenance tasks that many property owners and landlords must face. Most hot water storage tanks last about 10 years, meaning that property owners might replace their water heating systems two or three times more frequently than their furnaces or boilers. This makes water heater conversions an important opportunity for cutting our region’s carbon footprint.
Our Take on Rhode Island’s Climate Action Strategy
Rhode Island is at a crucial juncture in taking meaningful action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Climate Action Strategy (CAS), which is a plan required of the state under the Act on Climate, is scheduled to be released to the public on Monday, December 15th, and the annual greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory released by the Department of Environmental Management has been updated for 2023. These two reports provide context for where the state’s emissions are and what ought to be done to achieve the 2030 GHG reduction mandate. Prior to the release of the final CAS, the Executive Climate Change Coordinating Council (EC4) – Rhode Island’s interagency organization tasked with coordinating climate change efforts – released a draft executive summary for the Climate Action Strategy which claims that the state will be able to meet the 2030 Act on Climate (AOC) with the current policies RI has on the books, e.g. the Renewable Energy Standard, Advanced Clean Cars II, and Advanced Clean Trucks regulations (currently under litigation), current incentives for electric vehicles and heat pump, etc.
