FERC grants delay on N.E. energy market reform

Gives grid operator 2-year transition period

By Bruce Mohl Electricity, Energy 0 Comments May 28, 2022

IN A DECISION posted at 10 p.m. Friday night, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission gave the operator of the New England power grid two more years to come up with a system for incorporating subsidized clean energy into the region’s electricity markets. Environmental activists had been urging FERC not to grant the delay, but the(...)

Pricing announced for latest offshore wind farms

They come in under cap, but may actually cost more

By Bruce Mohl Electricity, Energy, Offshore Wind 0 Comments May 25, 2022

BAKER ADMINISTRATION officials say the two latest offshore wind procurements are in compliance with the state’s price cap even though their electricity will probably end up costing more. Under the cap, the price of electricity with each successive procurement must come in lower than the previous one. The cap has become somewhat controversial of late,(...)

As blades get longer, Charlestown testing center seeks to expand

Wind turbine technology moving faster than expected

By Shira Schoenberg Energy, Offshore Wind, State Government 0 Comments May 22, 2022

WHEN THE WIND Technology Testing Center in Charlestown was built in 2011, the longest wind turbine blades in the world were around 65 meters long, or 215 feet. So the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center constructed the blade testing building to be 90 meters long, around 300 feet – about the size of a football field. (...)

Rep. Haddad is star of energy documentary

‘Empowered’ places Somerset’s struggles in historical context

By Bruce Mohl Brayton Point, Patricia Haddad, Somerset 0 Comments May 16, 2022

REP. PATRICIA HADDAD of Somerset, long a powerful figure in the Massachusetts House, is now also the star of a new documentary written, directed, and produced by California-based filmmaker Kiki Goshay about America’s love affair with energy. The documentary’s strength is the long look it takes at the country’s haphazard energy evolution from one president(...)

Japanese firm has different plan for Cape power plants

Proposes using the facility as a conduit for offshore wind

By Bruce Mohl Energy 0 Comments May 12, 2022

A JAPANESE COMPANY is buying the oil and gas-fired power plants located in Sandwich on the Cape Cod Canal and seeking to repurpose them primarily as a conduit for delivering energy from offshore wind farms to the New England power grid. At first glance, the power plants wouldn’t seem to hold much value. One is(...)

NE power grid demand falls to its lowest level ever

Part of shift caused by solar power on homes

By Bruce Mohl Electricity, Energy 0 Comments May 6, 2022

DEMAND FOR ELECTRICITY from the New England power grid fell to an all-time low on Sunday, a reflection of the weather and the region’s embrace of solar power. Sunday was a very pleasant day, with mild temperatures, sunshine, and Sunday’s relatively low demand for electricity. The combination meant homeowners didn’t need heat or air conditioning,(...)

CommonWealth wins six awards from New England newspaper association

Four first-place honors across a range of coverage areas among the winning entries

By CommonWealth Staff Journalism awards 0 Comments May 5, 2022

COMMONWEALTH WON SIX AWARDS, including four first-place designations, from the New England Newspaper & Press Association in its Better Newspaper Competition. The awards were for articles written between August 1, 2020 and July 31, 2021. The awards were announced over the weekend at the association’s annual convention in Boston. CommonWealth competed in the category of(...)

US Senate committee deadlocks on Robinson

Republican questions Framingham rep's desire to lower electricity costs

By Chris Lisinski Energy, Massachusetts Legislature 0 Comments May 3, 2022

STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE A US SENATE COMMITTEE split evenly along party lines on whether to advance Massachusetts Rep. Maria Robinson’s nomination for a federal energy job, teeing up another situation in which Democrats may need to turn to the vice president to break a tie and muscle through a Bay State elected official. Nearly(...)

Challenging the status quo on electricity, heating

Conservation Law Foundation officials call for change

By Bruce Mohl Energy, Environment 0 Comments Apr 25, 2022

TWO TOP OFFICIALS with the Conservation Law Foundation say the region’s power grid operator and the state’s utilities are in some ways part of the problem instead of the solution to dealing with climate change. Greg Cunningham, the vice president and director of CLF’s clean energy and climate change program, and Caitlin Peale Sloan, the(...)

Healey climate plan calls for cabinet czar

Sets ambitious electricity goals for grid, transportation

By Bruce Mohl Elections, Electricity, Energy, Environment 0 Comments Apr 19, 2022

DEMOCRATIC GUBERNATORIAL candidate Maura Healey began to flesh out her policy positions on Tuesday by unveiling a climate change plan that calls for the appointment of cabinet-level official to oversee and coordinate the effort and sets ambitious goals for eliminating the use of fossil fuels in generating electricity and powering the MBTA. As the state’s(...)