LAST TUESDAY’S stunning rebuke by Maine voters of a utility transmission project has dramatic implications for Massachusetts’ clean energy and climate strategy. The so-called New England Clean Energy Connect transmission line would have delivered low carbon electricity from Canadian hydroelectric plants, and has been a key pillar of the Baker administration’s plan for meeting the […]
Peter Rothstein
Posted inOpinion
Mass. should set 100% clean energy mandate
WITH LAST MONTH’S approval of the nation’s first large-scale offshore wind project off the coast of Massachusetts, a clean energy future is within our grasp in the United States. Nowhere is that more evident than in Massachusetts. Our state is poised to deliver 800 megawatts of reliable, clean power to thousands of homes and businesses […]
Posted inOpinion
Mass. Clean Energy Center needs more funding
OVER 111,000 PEOPLE WORK in Massachusetts’ dynamic clean energy economy, due to a powerful combination of leading policies, strong talent, and key institutions. At the center of this dynamic industry is the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC). Founded by the Green Jobs Act legislation in 2008, this quasi-public agency’s mission is to put public renewable energy trust […]
Posted inOpinion
Mass. should accelerate solar development
MASSACHUSETTS IS IN THE MIDST of a success story when it comes to solar energy. At a time when the effects of climate change are becoming more obvious to us all, our state has made tremendous progress in lowering the cost of solar and expanding access to a broad spectrum of consumers. This week and […]
Posted inOpinion
Go bigger with offshore wind procurement
IN RECENT MONTHS, the Baker administration has taken several important steps toward a clean energy future for the Commonwealth, including bold initiatives to accelerate large-scale clean energy as enabled by the 2016 Energy Diversity Act. Beyond the state’s recent clean energy procurement, which considered hydro imports, onshore wind projects, and transmission siting, there is a […]
Posted inOpinion
Decisive action needed on Northern Pass
FRIDAY’S NEWS OF a stalemate among the Commonwealth’s utilities about what to do next regarding the denial of a crucial siting permit for Northern Pass highlights the shortcomings of the state’s procurement process and emphasis on the role of the utilities as key decision-makers in the selection of a winning bid. As Attorney General Maura […]
Posted inEnvironment, Opinion
The upside of renewables
A Commonwealth opinion piece (“The downside of renewables”) published on May 11 provided a flawed argument against renewable energy and its implications for the New England electricity grid by picking and choosing facts from European countries that are decades ahead of the US in the clean energy transition. We should learn from the successes and […]
Posted inEnvironment, Opinion
House energy bill must be scaled up
IN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS, Massachusetts has the opportunity to reorient the energy system away from risky over-reliance on fossil fuels and toward a stable clean energy future. The opportunity is created by two trends upending the electric power sector. First, aging power plants have become increasingly uneconomical, prompting a turnover of almost one-third of the region’s […]
Posted inEconomy, Environment, Opinion
New England governors should lead region to a sustainable energy future
THIS WEEK THE New England governors will meet in Connecticut to discuss potential solutions to one of our region’s most serious economic challenges: the high cost of electricity and energy. This is not a new threat as the region has always been at the end of the traditional energy pipeline, costing ratepayers top dollar for […]
Posted inEnvironment, Opinion
Natural gas called bridge fuel for Ma.
Last week’s news that natural gas supply constraints will cause massive increases in energy costs for Massachusetts’s consumers—both residential and commercial alike—is a serious problem that needs more discussion among the gubernatorial candidates with a dialogue around long-term, sustainable solutions. As reported in Bruce Mohl’s “Energy Prices to Soar” the state (and the region’s) overreliance […]