Brayton Pt. manufacturing facility part of wind farm procurement

Salem’s waterfront will also become staging area for offshore wind

By Bruce Mohl Offshore Wind 0 Comments Dec 17, 2021

MASSACHUSETTS’ THIRD and largest offshore wind procurement brought with it some significant and unexpected onshore benefits, including a subsea transmission cable manufacturing facility at beleaguered Brayton Point in Somerset and a new staging facility in Salem. Two projects totaling 1,600 megawatts were selected on Friday to move forward to the contract stage — a 1,200(...)

Maine judge to rule quickly on transmission line injunction

$1b hydroelectricity project key part of Mass. climate effort

By Bruce Mohl Electricity, Employment 0 Comments Dec 15, 2021

MAINE DISTRICT Court Judge Michael Duddy said on Wednesday that he would rule in the next two days on whether to grant a preliminary injunction putting on hold a law passed overwhelmingly by the state’s voters blocking construction of a Massachusetts-financed transmission line bringing hydroelectricity into the region from Quebec. The law was approved by(...)

Grid operator nervous about energy constraints

Says imports of Quebec hydroelectricity needed

By Bruce Mohl Electricity, Energy 0 Comments Dec 6, 2021

THE HEAD OF THE New England power grid said on Monday that energy supply constraints in the region continue to make him nervous, and he said the situation has been aggravated by passage of a law by Maine voters blocking a Massachusetts-financed power line importing hydroelectricity from Quebec. At a briefing with reporters, Gordon van(...)

Every electron is not neutral

ISO-New England’s policies are blind and shortsighted

By Philip Landrigan and Anna Goldman Electricity, Energy 0 Comments Dec 4, 2021

WE NEW ENGLANDERS have a spectacular opportunity to move rapidly from polluting fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy. This transition will benefit us all: It will slow climate change, reduce pollution, save lives, and preserve New England’s beautiful environment for our children and their children. A wholesale transition to renewable energy will also save us(...)

Power politics in Maine

Through proxies, Mass. seeks to overturn law backed by 59% of Maine voters

By Bruce Mohl Electricity, Energy 0 Comments Nov 30, 2021

MASSACHUSETTS OFFICIALS are counting on a Maine court to overturn a law passed in early November by 59 percent of Maine voters so a power line carrying hydroelectricity from Quebec can resume construction. The legal arguments in favor of overturning the law seem convincing, but victory in this case may come at a high cost.(...)

Learning the ins and outs of charging your car

Easy availability, cost certainty are key concerns

By Brian Gemmell and Jake Navarro 0 Comments Nov 28, 2021

OVER THE NEXT few weeks, thousands of motorists will be traveling the highways of Massachusetts and beyond to see friends and family for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Amidst the multiple stops for fuel and snacks will be the occasional range anxiety that occurs when one is driving with a dwindling fuel tank while hoping(...)

Power grid operator needs a makeover

Status quo, special interests need to give way at ISO New England

By Jennifer Benson and Amy Boyd Electricity, Energy 0 Comments Nov 26, 2021

THE LARGEST OFFSHORE wind project in the nation is coming to the waters off Massachusetts, setting our Commonwealth up to be a global leader in clean energy that can deliver on the promise of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and creating good-paying green jobs across the state. But to get there, and to pave the way(...)

Maine DEP suspends license of hydro transmission line

Fate of Mass.-financed project now in hands of the courts

By Bruce Mohl Charlie Baker, Electricity, Energy 0 Comments Nov 23, 2021

THE MAINE Department of Environmental Protection on Tuesday suspended the license it issued for a Massachusetts-financed transmission line carrying hydroelectricity from Quebec until a court either halts enforcement of or overturns a law passed by voters on November 3 blocking the project. The decision by Melanie Loyzim, the commissioner of the department, means the fate(...)

Electricity supplier gets attack on AG wrong

It’s time to pull the plug on this predatory industry

By Nathan Forster Electricity, Energy 0 Comments Nov 23, 2021

THIS WINTER, residential customers should be wary of competitive electric suppliers taking advantage of rising electric bills to lure new customers. We have all heard the stories of these predatory suppliers, and many of us have experienced their high-pressure sales tactics – on the phone, at the door, through a mailer – promising cheaper electricity.(...)

Mass.-financed power line in Maine is a mess

Rejected by voters, project pursues court, regulatory options

By Bruce Mohl Charlie Baker, Energy, Environment 0 Comments Nov 23, 2021

AFTER A DAY-LONG Zoom hearing Monday on the proposed transmission line carrying hydroelectricity from Quebec into Maine, there is only one conclusion: What a mess. The transmission line, designed to bring power from Canadian hydroelectric producer Hydro-Quebec to the New England electric grid through a converter station in Lewiston, Maine, is being paid for by(...)