Plugging In

Energy and the Environment

Time to put an end to whack-a-mole electricity sellers

Companies promise savings, but customer bills actually go up

By Maura Healey Attorney General Maura Healey, Electricity 0 Comments Aug 1, 2019

Attorney General Maura Healey’s office issued a new report on Thursday indicating that consumers who signed on with competitive electricity suppliers between July 2017 and June 2018 paid $76.2 million more than if they remained with their existing service carrier. An earlier report reached similar conclusions. Healey has filed legislation that would bar competitive suppliers(...)

Offshore wind price protection eliminated

Baker amendment does away with declining cap for now

By Bruce Mohl Charlie Baker, Electricity, Energy, Massachusetts Legislature 0 Comments Jul 31, 2019

GOV. CHARLIE BAKER and the Legislature on Wednesday rushed through a measure that eliminates the state requirement that the next offshore wind contract come in at a price lower than the last one. The so-called declining price cap was approved in 2016 because of fears the price of offshore wind power would be high, with(...)

Baker developing ‘cure plan’ for Vineyard Wind

Governor meets with Interior Secretary David Bernhardt

By Bruce Mohl Charlie Baker, Energy 0 Comments Jul 29, 2019

GOV. CHARLIE BAKER said on Monday that his administration is working with Vineyard Wind to develop a “cure plan” to address the concerns of federal agencies as they review the offshore wind project’s environmental impact statement. Baker met Monday morning with officials at the Interior Department, including, according to his schedule, Secretary David Bernhardt, and(...)

Lawmakers hike assessment on utilities 50%

Money will be used to fund DPU budget, which is increasing 54%

By Colin A. Young Department of Public Utilities, Energy 0 Comments Jul 24, 2019

STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THOUGH LAWMAKER LEFT a handful of proposed taxes on the cutting room floor when they compromised on a budget, the fiscal year 2020 spending plan being reviewed by Gov. Charlie Baker includes a 50 percent increase in the annual assessment imposed upon gas and electric utility companies. The assessment of a(...)

Pacheco raises concerns on offshore wind pricing

Urges governor to reject language in budget

By Bruce Mohl Charlie Baker, Electricity, Energy, Massachusetts Legislature 0 Comments Jul 23, 2019

SEN. MARC PACHECO of Taunton raised an interesting policy issue on Monday when he spoke out against a provision in the Legislature’s budget that would tweak the way the state procures offshore wind power. Under legislation passed in 2016, each successive contract for offshore wind must come in at a price below the last one.(...)

Vineyard Wind says project at risk

Federal environmental approval needed in 4-6 weeks

By Bruce Mohl Energy 0 Comments Jul 18, 2019

VINEYARD WIND says its offshore wind farm could be in jeopardy if the federal government fails to approve its environmental impact statement over the next six weeks. In a carefully worded statement issued early Thursday morning, the company appeared to be prodding federal officials at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to move quickly to(...)

29 senators urge DEP to block Weymouth gas facility

5 of 6 Republicans signed letter to Baker administration

By Chris Lisinski Charlie Baker, Energy, Massachusetts Legislature 0 Comments Jul 11, 2019

STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE Nearly three-quarters of the Senate penned a letter Thursday urging the Department of Environmental Protection commissioner to rescind approval for a controversial natural gas compressor station in Weymouth, a significant escalation from what had been mostly staunch local opposition. The two-and-a-half page letter, signed with bipartisan support by 29 of the Senate’s(...)

AIM to Baker: Modify the offshore wind price cap

Business group worried bidders could become scarce

By Bruce Mohl Charlie Baker, Energy, State Government 0 Comments Jul 11, 2019

ONE OF THE ORIGINAL ARCHITECTS of the declining price cap on offshore wind solicitations is now calling on the Baker administration to scale it back. Robert Rio, senior vice president and counsel at Associated Industries of Massachusetts, one of the state’s leading business groups, sent a letter to the Baker administration on July 5 urging(...)

Feds: Vineyard Wind review window ends in 2020

Will environmental evaluation jeopardize tight construction timetable?

By Bruce Mohl Electricity, Energy 0 Comments Jul 11, 2019

THE FEDERAL AGENCY evaluating the environmental impact of Vineyard Wind provided no explanation for its decision to extend the time period for review beyond Friday, but noted it has until March 2020 to complete its work, several months after the offshore wind developer had planned to begin construction. Stephen Boutwell, a spokesman for the Bureau(...)

Unsettling news for Vineyard Wind

Feds put off key environmental decision with no explanation

By Bruce Mohl Electricity, Energy, Vineyard Wind 0 Comments Jul 10, 2019

VINEYARD WIND, the company seeking to build a large wind farm off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, faced some uncertainty on Wednesday after federal regulators said they wouldn’t be taking action Friday on a key environmental approval as had been expected. The company posted a statement on its website downplaying the significance of the action,(...)