“Seize the day” might be a good mantra if you’re exploring your options for reducing your energy costs in 2025. While there is potential for changes to energy programs at both the local and federal levels, there are many incentives currently still available. Don't let fears about the future dissuade you from proceeding with projects that pencil out with the incentives in place when it comes time for you to decide on your project.
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.
(Rhode Islanders – this is a story about Massachusetts, but it applies to the Ocean State just as well, given the Act on Climate.)
Mass Save is the Commonwealth’s major energy efficiency program. It’s jointly administered by the investor-owned gas and electric utilities and the Cape Light Compact. Gas and electricity ratepayers pay into the program, which includes information, services, and incentives. On February 28, the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) issued an order for Mass Save’s 2025-2027 Three Year Energy Efficiency Plan subject to some modifications and directives, including a $500 million reduction to the proposed $5 billion budget. In the order, the DPU wrote that the cut was made to protect ratepayers from excessive bill impacts. There’s a lot to unpack on the order.
In the last few weeks, there has been much written about rising natural gas rates in Massachusetts and some commentary about whether the state’s energy efficiency program, Mass Save, is at fault. Two factors have caused our total gas bills to spike: gas rates were increased on November 1st and this winterhas had very cold weather that caused increased consumption. As a gas customer myself, that’s been my experience. But anger about Mass Save is misplaced. It’s true that the budget for Mass Save is likely to increase, but the program is a big part of the solution to our energy woes. And in fact, its existence benefits everyone financially – even folks who don’t take advantage of the Mass Save program offerings directly – by decreasing overall costs.
Meeting climate goals anywhere, including Massachusetts and Rhode Island, depends upon electrifying everything – cars, space heating, water heating, stoves, and clothes dryers. Combustion has to be phased out. Federal and state purchase incentives for many of those items help level the playing field on an up-front cost basis. However, they do not address operating costs. To meet our climate goals, we must reduce the ratio of prices for electricity versus prices for fossil fuels – the Spark Gap.
On October 31st, the Boston Globe and other media outlets reported that most natural gas (methane) customers in Massachusetts are going to experience a big increase in the winter-time rates (November through May). Eversource was approved by state regulators for rate increases of 25% to 30%, while National Grid got approved to hike its rate by 11% to 13%.
This year, Massachusetts government agencies are working on major aspects of building decarbonization in three different arenas: Mass Save, the “Future of Gas” proceeding, and the Clean Heat Standard. The Commonwealth must coordinate these efforts to find the optimum set of policy solutions. This blog outlines our view on how state agencies should be coordinating these processes.
It's tax time! Since you've been engaged with Green Energy Consumers on clean energy upgrades like solar, electric cars, and heat pumps, we wanted to share the basics about claiming federal clean energy tax credits for 2023.
Our organization has been advocating for a Clean Heat Standard (CHS) in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island. A clean heat standard gives energy suppliers options for meeting their obligations, but the logic of the standard is straightforward: It would require heating energy providers to implement clean heat services.
Utility-supplied natural gas (methane) is the primary heating fuel in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island, supplying 52% and 54% of homes, respectively. Given their mandates to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, both states are exploring strategies to transition away from their prevalent gas distribution systems. However, reducing and ultimately eliminating emissions from the heating sector, and doing so in a manner that minimizes costs to utility consumers and the state, is a formidable policy challenge. It will be an interesting journey, but one that must be taken.
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