The Energy Consumer's Bulletin- a New England energy news blog

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Massachusetts Energy Bill Update

The following is an update on the ongoing process in Massachusetts regarding energy legislation.

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Renewable energy

Renewable energy Energy policy & advocacy Electricity and the grid Climate change

Green Energy Consumers Joins Lawsuit to Stop Unlawful Federal Actions Against Wind & Solar

On January 12th, Green Energy Consumers joined a national coalition of regional wind and solar organizations, seeking immediate relief from the Trump administration’s unlawful federal permitting actions that violate the Administrative Procedure Act and arbitrarily and discriminatorily make wind and solar development effectively impossible throughout the country. These arbitrary and capricious actions strike at the heart of New England’s plans to expand the accessibility of affordable clean power. With household electricity bills continuing to sharply rise across the country, consumers should not be barred by the federal government from access to renewable energy.

Picture of Amanda Barker Amanda Barker
Renewable energy Energy efficiency Heating Phasing out fossil fuels

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. 

Picture of Loie Hayes Loie Hayes
Renewable energy Energy policy & advocacy Electricity and the grid Our programs Climate change

Shave the Peak End-of-Summer Trends

This summer, we collected data every day from ISO-New England, the nonprofit Independent System Operator responsible for ensuring reliable electricity delivery across the six New England states. We tracked the forecasted high temperature, the forecasted and actual peak load, the time of said peak, the peak price of electricity and its timing, the CO2 emissions at peak, the output of behind the meter (BTM) solar and its timing, and whether or not we sent out a Shave the Peak notification to our subscribers who receive alerts on when and how to reduce electricity use during times of high stress on the grid. Stay tuned to find out how many Shave the Peak alerts we sent out this summer! 

Picture of Amanda Barker Amanda Barker 
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Picture of Maya Mastro Maya Mastro
Renewable energy Energy policy & advocacy Electricity and the grid Climate change

Our Statement On Trump’s All-out Assault On Offshore Wind

On his first day in office, the president issued an executive order halting the future permitting and leasing of all offshore wind projects. That action alone was damaging—and is currently being challenged by 18 state attorneys general. But since then, the administration has escalated to an all-out assault on offshore wind.

Picture of Larry Chretien Larry Chretien 
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Picture of Amanda Barker Amanda Barker
Renewable energy Massachusetts Electricity and the grid Green municipal aggregation Rhode Island

Municipal Aggregation Keeps on Winning: Greener Power at Lowest Cost

From time to time, we report on how municipal aggregation is going in Massachusetts – and soon, Rhode Island. It’s that time again. For about 90% of the customers in each state, consumers have three choices for their electricity supply – the utility’s Basic Service, municipal aggregation if their community has adopted that model, or retail service from a (often predatory and greenwashing) competitive electricity provider.  All of these customers receive delivery service (poles, wires, metering, billing) from regulated investor-owned utilities; the difference lies in the electricity supply. The remaining 10% of customers receive power supply from municipal utilities.

Picture of Larry Chretien Larry Chretien 
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Mikaela Hondros-McCarthy
Renewable energy Energy policy & advocacy Climate change Phasing out fossil fuels

Facing Clean Energy Opposition with Perseverance & Solidarity

For those of us working on the clean energy transition, professionally or as volunteers, the last few months have been awful in many ways. We’re seeing policies change for the worse, funding cuts, and layoffs. The planetary consequences are real, but there’s also an enormous human impact on all the people who have made working on the transition either their vocation or avocation. 

Picture of Larry Chretien Larry Chretien
Renewable energy Massachusetts Electricity and the grid Rhode Island Climate change Phasing out fossil fuels

Watch Out For Disinformation About Offshore Wind

Climate change is the greatest threat to natural landscapes, marine ecosystems, and fishing industries in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Narragansett Bay has already warmed by nearly 3°F since 1960. Sea levels off the coast of Newport have risen 10 inches since 1930, and projections show they could rise as much as 9 feet in the next 75 years. These changes will drastically alter the fishing industry and the economy. Offshore wind is one of the most powerful tools we have to safeguard these vital resources.

Picture of Amanda Barker Amanda Barker