Changes for Electric Vehicle Drivers in Rhode Island
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.
Phasing out fossil fuels
We Are Still Endangered
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) repealed its own “endangerment finding,” fundamentally destroying the federal government’s ability to regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.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.
Newest Energy Bill Out In Massachusetts: Call Your Rep!
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!
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What new energy technologies are you interested in? We’ve got a short survey!
At Green Energy Consumers Alliance, we believe everyone should be able to benefit from the clean energy transition.
Electric Vehicles & Public Health
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.
Heat Pump Water Heaters: Essential For Climate Action & Now Cost Competitive
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.
Why We Need Electric Vehicles
To celebrate National Drive Electric Month, we want to remind ourselves of the environmental, public health, and economic benefits of electric vehicles (EVs) and why they are so critical to the clean energy transition.
As part of our Truth To Power campaign, we dispelled clean energy myths and hosted a webinar on the many benefits of EVs. This blog retells and expands on that webinar.
Natural Gas Prices Are Rising
This blog is about the rising cost of natural gas. We hope that it reaches those who blamed this past winter’s rising cost of gas on the cost of energy efficiency programs.
Let’s start with this graph, courtesy of Reuters, showing that the price of natural gas has risen almost 50% nationally in the last few years for residential consumers.
Heat Pump Discount Rates Coming This Winter!
We have an exciting update for Massachusetts households since we last wrote about heat pump rates in July: Starting November 1st, all three investor-owned electric utilities (Unitil, National Grid, and Eversource) will launch new, lower winter electricity rates for homes that heat either partially or fully with heat pumps.
On average, Heat pump users can expect to save around $540 on their heating bills this winter, compared to what they paid in past winters. That’s roughly a 17% discount—a true game changer for clean heating in Massachusetts.
Is There Such A Thing As Too Much DC Fast Charging?
It’s no secret that we are big fans of electric vehicles (EVs) here at Green Energy Consumers Alliance – they have lower operational costs over their lifetimes, and they are central in curbing greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector. Yet, many prospective EV buyers have not made the switch because of concerns about charging, especially when it comes to long-distance travel. While DC Fast Chargers have been deployed at unprecedented rates, some people are concerned about the impacts of fast charging on battery health. Below, we will dispel some of the most common concerns about DC Fast Charging and share some pointers for preserving your EV’s battery.
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