The Circle of Life: NSTAR Green Terminated, But Green Power Lives On
Acting on the recommendations of the Department of Energy Resources and Attorney General, on December 16th, the...
Our programs (7)
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Avoid carbon dioxide emissions: Doing the math on green power
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.
Local Wind Turbine Updates in Massachusetts and Rhode Island
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!
Western Mass Electric Co. Teams Up With Mass Energy to Offer Renewable Energy to Customers!
We’ll celebrate at Berkshire East Ski Resort & Canopy Tours on July 27th, and you’re invited.
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.
Portsmouth Wind Turbine Might Be Spinning Soon
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.
Welcome to Mass Energy and People's Power & Light’s Blog!
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.