SEN. MARC PACHECO wants to make clear that the energy bill the Senate passed on Thursday night did not include a carbon tax. Under the state’s constitution, he said, the Senate is not permitted to introduce a so-called money bill; legislation that raises or lowers taxes must originate in the House. He said the Senate […]
Environment
Posted inEnvironment
Putting a price on carbon gains momentum in Mass.
CLARIFICATION: The original version of this story twice likened putting a price on carbon to putting a tax on carbon, but a sponsor of the legislation said it is not a tax. To read his point of view click here. MASSACHUSETTS MOVED CLOSER to embracing an economy-wide price on carbon, as the Senate approved an […]
Posted inOpinion
Clouds over Mass. solar industry
IT’S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT, just a decade ago, seeing solar panels was a novelty in neighborhoods across Massachusetts. Today, that’s all changed. Solar projects are ubiquitous across the Commonwealth – from the rooftops of homes, schools, and office buildings to solar canopies in parking lots and community solar farms. What’s been dubbed a “solar revolution” […]
Posted inOpinion
No 7th inning stretch needed, just clean energy home runs
This commentary was written by Joel Wool. I’VE NEVER BEEN A FAN of baseball metaphors. If we’re talking efficient use of energy rather than exercise or entertainment, it’s hard to see the utility of hitting a ball and running in circles. But since opponents of clean energy reforms have called for a “7th-inning stretch” to […]
Posted inOpinion
On clean energy, we need a 7th inning stretch
HERE IN MASSACHUSETTS we guard against exuberance and premature celebration. We know no lead is safe at Fenway Park, that it’s wrong to put away snow shovels on March 1, or rejoice in dodging a single Route 1 pothole. But while reticence may be a welcome part of our New England DNA, self-reflection can often […]
Posted inEnvironment, Politics
Senate bill would ramp up clean energy development
THE SENATE IS PREPARING to take up legislation that would dramatically ramp up the state’s development of clean energy, but many of the provisions in the bill have been derided as costly or unwise by the business community. The bill, which is expected to come up for a vote in the Senate next week, would […]
Posted inOpinion
Region’s power grid is changing dramatically
APRIL 21, 2018 was an historic date for the New England power grid: It was the first time that mid-day peak energy demand from the power grid was lower than typically low overnight demand. The reason for this historic first is the effectiveness of energy efficiency and the combined output of 130,000 small, medium, and large solar […]
Posted inOpinion
Music and climate change
WHEN I WAS 14 YEARS OLD, I decided I would become a professional musician because it had nothing to do with oil. I was born in Fort McMurray, Alberta, home to Canada’s notorious tar sands and the world’s third largest oil reserve. For a time, I lived in a neighborhood called Petrolia. Our hero was […]
Posted inThe Back Story
Is Baker getting carried away with offshore wind?
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER may have gotten a little carried away on Wednesday talking about the “terrific pricing” the state is going to get for offshore wind power. “People are going to be really surprised, I think, because the argument has always been, ‘Well, renewable and clean energy sources are great but, jeez, they’re more expensive.’ […]
Posted inOpinion
New York is a bad neighbor to New England
DEAR NEW ENGLAND: As a rule of thumb, I generally don’t feel bad for anyone who roots for the Bruins or the Patriots. But lately, I’ve re-considered such feelings. New York has been a bad neighbor. For years, you’ve experienced some of the highest electricity and home heating prices in the nation—and they make it […]