Plugging In

Energy and the Environment

Mass. lawmakers, Trump administration spar over Vineyard Wind review

Double-standard claim dismissed as unfounded, uninformed

By Bruce Mohl Electricity, Energy 0 Comments Feb 6, 2020

NINE MEMBERS of the Massachusetts congressional delegation asked the General Accountability Office to investigate whether the Trump administration’s extended environmental review of the Vineyard Wind project reflects a bias against renewable energy – an allegation a spokeswoman for the Department of Interior dismissed as “unfounded and uninformed.” In a letter to the General Accountability Office,(...)

For offshore wind, expect more delays

Theoharides: Vineyard Wind's federal review won't be done until December

By Bruce Mohl Electricity, Energy 0 Comments Feb 3, 2020

FEDERAL AGENCIES ASSESSING the environmental impact of Vineyard Wind are now expecting the long-delayed process to wrap up sometime in December, according to a top Baker administration official. The Vineyard Wind project was put on hold indefinitely in August 2019 when the federal government decided to supplement its environmental impact review with a study of(...)

Picking apart Rep. Kearney’s fishy argument

Jones Act could strangle offshore wind industry

By Lloyd Mendes Energy 0 Comments Jan 31, 2020

YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED a fishy odor from a recent CommonWealth article. It was the smell of red herring, served in an opinion piece by state Rep. Patrick Kearney. On its face, his argument seems reasonable enough: protect American merchant marine jobs by continuing to exclude foreign vessels from serving offshore wind power platforms. Kearney(...)

Healey: Stop individual residential electricity sales

‘The problem is only getting worse,” AG says

By Maura Healey Electricity, Energy 0 Comments Jan 29, 2020

THE COMPETITIVE ELECTRIC SUPPLY INDUSTRY has overcharged Massachusetts consumers for far too long. We’ve all seen these companies in action. They go door-to-door, send letters in the mail, and call over and over with promises of cheaper electricity, or a locked-in low rate that they claim will save you money. They promise if you sign(...)

Mayflower Wind, without contract, moving ahead

By CommonWealth Staff Climate change, Environment 0 Comments Jan 15, 2020

Mayflower Wind still doesn’t have a final contract for its offshore wind farm off the coast of Nantucket, but it appears to be moving ahead with the project anyway in a bid to tap federal investment tax credits. A press release issued by a joint venture of two Danish companies on Wednesday indicated Mayflower has(...)

Mass. Clean Energy Center needs more funding

Without more money, climate change efforts jeopardized

By Peter Rothstein, Emily Reichert, Robert Rio and Elizabeth Turnbull Henry Electricity, State Government 0 Comments Jan 11, 2020

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(...)

Fishermen, wind farm developers at odds

Battling over size of navigation lanes for fishing vessels

By Bruce Mohl Electricity, Energy 0 Comments Jan 7, 2020

A GROUP REPRESENTING New England fishing interests on Tuesday called for special travel lanes through offshore wind farms proposed off the coast of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, putting the fishermen at odds with wind farm developers who want to retain as much space as possible for their turbines. The Responsible Offshore Development Alliance called for(...)

Offshore wind tax credit doesn’t make cut

Pulled from federal legislation at request of White House

By Colin A. Young Energy 0 Comments Dec 18, 2019

STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE CLIMATE ADVOCATES and industry groups were critical of the US House this week after a long-term extension of a tax credit designed to assist offshore wind energy developers did not come to pass as part of spending bills, but some wind watchers said offshore projects might still be able to claim(...)

Healey seeks DPU crackdown on electricity sellers

Says industry targets low-income ratepayers, harms everyone

By Bruce Mohl 0 Comments Dec 18, 2019

ATTORNEY GENERAL MAURA HEALEY is asking the state Department of Public Utilities to investigate whether competitive electricity suppliers are charging low-income customers unreasonably high rates and whether those higher charges are driving up the utility bills of all ratepayers. Healey’s office has conducted two studies suggesting consumers who sign up with competitive electricity suppliers pay(...)

Healey takes on grid operator

Says rules favor dirty energy sources.

By Bruce Mohl Attorney General Maura Healey, Electricity, Energy 0 Comments Dec 12, 2019

ATTORNEY GENERAL MAURA HEALEY, backed by the Barr Foundation, is launching a campaign to convince the operator of the regional power grid to embrace renewables and move away from electricity produced using fossil fuels. Healey on Thursday invited Massachusetts residents to watch an explainer video and sign a petition urging the region’s grid operator, ISO(...)