It sure seems like a few politicians these days are waving a banner saying, “I’m for all of the above when it comes to energy."
Here is my response to them: We already have all of the above, and it hasn’t been serving us well.
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).
On this Earth Day, we’re proud to be celebrating a legal victory that will help secure a clean energy future.
On April 21, Judge Denise Casper of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts granted a preliminary injunction in favor of a national coalition of wind and solar organizations, including Green Energy Consumers Alliance.
Liquified natural gas (LNG) terminals are large pieces of infrastructure that can either turn pipeline natural gas into a liquid to move onto ships or turn liquified natural gas into a gas to put into a pipeline. They have recently made national headlines because the buildout of LNG export terminals has allowed the US to export more natural gas to the rest of the world, which in turn has led to higher domestic natural gas prices.
Uniquely for the mainland United States, New England’s LNG facilities are primarily used to import, not export, natural gas. This is because the region’s position at the end of the national gas pipeline system means that pipeline gas alone cannot meet the region’s demand during cold snaps. That is where the Everett Marine Terminal (EMT) comes in.
If you’re a current or potential future electric vehicle (EV) driver in Rhode Island, there are some important new changes you should be aware of.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) repealed its own “endangerment finding,” fundamentally destroying the federal government’s ability to regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This move is a huge abdication of responsibility by the federal government to protect the health and well-being of people across the country and will fundamentally change how the fight against climate change continues in this country. But all is not lost: there is still so much we can do.
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!
At Green Energy Consumers Alliance, we believe everyone should be able to benefit from the clean energy transition.
Electrifying our vehicles is a critical tool for cleaning up the air we breathe and improving our public health. The public health effects of pollution from gas and diesel vehicles are widespread but are unequally centered in areas where Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) groups live. Electric vehicles (EVs) offer consumers cleaner and more efficient means of transport than gas cars.
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.
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