We're thrilled to share our 2024 Annual Report, a testament to the power of community and unwavering commitment to a zero-carbon world. Amidst challenging national headwinds, our supporters and donors have been essential to our continued success.
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.
It’s no secret that the Trump administration poses a significant challenge to the offshore wind industry in the United States. On the first day of his second term, Trump issued an Executive Order halting all permitting and lease sales for the technology. Nonetheless, offshore wind remains imperative to not only meeting our climate goals, but ensuring energy independence, jobs, and local economic growth. Rhode Island and Massachusetts have been at the forefront of the US offshore wind industry, and as the federal government presents new challenges, it is now more important than ever that our states continue to lead and do everything they can to support this vital resource.
“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.
Despite the fact that they get the lion's share of coverage in the media, announcements of new climate programs by Governor Healey or clean energy laws passed by the State House are just pieces of paper. What turns these pieces of paper into real initiatives that can shut down coal plants, get solar projects connected to the power grid, and reduce utility bills, is the work of staff members at agencies like the Department of Public Utilities (DPU), the Department of Energy Resources (DOER), and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC).
Back in May, several Massachusetts state agencies came together to form an Interagency Rates Working Group (IRWG) to advance near- and long-term electric rate designs that align with the Commonwealth’s decarbonization goals by prioritizing the reduction of energy burden while incentivizing transportation and building electrification. That statement of purpose is a mouthful but it succeeds at crystalizing the general consensus on Massachusetts energy policy goals among state officials and many advocates, including Green Energy Consumers Alliance — which is, how can we pay for energy in a way that keeps energy affordable for everyone and encourages getting off of fossil fuels?
A few weeks ago, we celebrated the passage of the 2024 climate bill in Massachusetts, An Act promoting a clean energy grid, advancing equity and protecting ratepayers, and wrote about its provisions related to reforming natural gas utilities, procuring battery storage, and siting and permitting. Here’s what the bill does on transportation.
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