We like to keep our members and the general public updated on renewable energy progress in New England. Our green power updates will tell you a little more about what’s going on in renewable energy construction. The local wind turbines and low-impact hydro project in this update are supported by Mass Energy and People's Power & Light members.
The “Member Spotlight” series highlights the individuals that make our organization great. Each post tells the story of an outstanding Mass Energy or PP&L member. By sharing their stories we hope to spread the word about their unique efforts and inspire others to follow in their footsteps.
Meet Susanne Altenburger, New England GreenStart member since 2009 and long-time energy efficiency expert. As she explains “there is a certain philosophy behind the price you pay when you have bad habits.” Eliminating these energy “bad habits” through efficiency is key for Susanne. After researching the fundamentals of and determining what low-carbon construction is all about, she found that many of us spend way too much money on wasted energy. By minimizing her wasted energy and greening up the small amount of energy she does use with Mass Energy, Altenburger has forged a model energy lifestyle.
Mass Energy and PP&L source a very specific type of renewable energy to ensure the greatest impact per dollar that our members spend. Not only do we want our members to buy renewable energy, we want their purchase to displace electricity generated by fossil fuels. Don't get fooled by green power suppliers who greenwash New England consumers.
*If you live in Rhode Island read the People's Power & Light version of this article here.
You’ve been good enough to voluntarily sign up for one of Mass Energy’s green power products, New England Wind or New England GreenStart (if not, click here to learn how). By now, you have probably read or heard that electricity rates for customers of National Grid, NSTAR, and Western Mass Electric are all taking a big jump this winter. These rates will be in effect until the spring. At that point, we expect the rates to come back down. Below is some information on the electricity rate increases and Mass Energy’s response.
The utilities buy electricity according to rules set by the Department of Public Utilities (DPU). Because this winter’s spike is so significant, the DPU has asked stakeholders for ideas on how to mitigate the rate increase and how to minimize its effects on consumers. Here’s what we had to say...
Acting on the recommendations of the Department of Energy Resources and Attorney General, on December 16th, the...
If we can avoid burning fossil fuels to make electricity (or heat our homes), we can avoid carbon dioxide emissions which cause global warming. Fortunately, we can do just that by buying green power and making our homes energy efficient. Can we quantify the benefits of green power and efficiency? Yes, we can! Here’s how:
The organization that runs the New England power grid does an annual assessment of air emissions made by generators in the region. The assessment reports on how much sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon dioxide are emitted in a given year, both on average per megawatt hour and at the margin. By “at the margin” we mean the last megawatt hour (MWh) produced. When we consider how avoiding emissions is a benefit, we calculate the benefit by looking at the marginal rate, which is the rate associated with the last megawatt hour we are using on the New England Power grid. For those of who are concerned about climate change, we are interested in the marginal rate of carbon dioxide emissions because we want to replace that last megawatt hour of dirty energy with something that is zero-emission. The point is that that we claim credit for avoiding the marginal rate rather than the average rate.
We like to keep our members and the general public updated on renewable energy progress in New England. Our green power updates will tell you a little more about what’s going on in renewable energy construction. All of these up-and-coming projects are being supported by Mass Energy/People’s Power & Light members!
Coming up on July 27th is Mass Energy and People’s Power & Light’s 4th annual Berkshire East Wind Turbine Festival in Charlemont, MA (get your tickets here). Local wind turbine power at Berkshire East is a huge success story—it literally helped keep this family-run ski and zip-lining resort from shutting its doors. Mass Energy/PP&L was able to play a role in Berkshire East’s success by contracting to purchase renewable energy certificates (RECs) from their local wind turbine long-term.
Thanks to a 4-2 vote of the Town Council on June 3, there is a good chance for the Portsmouth, RI local wind turbine to spin again. And if everything falls into place, Portsmouth will once again become part of People’s Power & Light/Mass Energy’s green power portfolio as early as September 2014.
Today, we are excited to launch our blog. Mass Energy (MA) and People's Power & Light (RI) are sister organizations dedicated to making energy more affordable and environmentally sustainable. We have three energy programs for consumers: heating oil, renewable energy, and energy efficiency. We will use this space to post top energy news, local event information, and other media related to our program areas. Check back often to stay up to date on the energy industry in New England. Mass Energy and People's Power & Light’s blog will be one of many ways that we empower Massachusetts and Rhode Island energy consumers to make educated energy choices.
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