Articles filed under Energy Policy from Massachusetts
In a letter to lawmakers, Baker said he vetoed the bill in part because it would slow housing production, running contrary to the goals of the “housing choice” proposal within the economic development bill he signed into law Thursday. He also said the bill lacked tools local and state officials need to protect cities and towns against present-day natural disasters that can be traced back to climate change.
Offshore wind power vast boondoggle that New York can no longer afford
Offshore wind is the renewable-energy industry’s shiny new toy. Led by New York, seven Atlantic-coast states have now imposed mandates to expand offshore wind use over the next decade, with the Empire State last week soliciting bids for an additional 2,500 megawatts of offshore power, on top of the 1,700 megawatts procured previously.
Mass. becomes dirty word in Maine referendum fight
Corporate Surrogates for Massachusetts have spent close to $17 million so far battling a referendum question in Maine that seeks to block the importation of hydroelectricity from Quebec using a power line running through wilderness areas in the western part of the state.
New England business groups make case to suspend energy efficiency surcharges
The business groups argue that halting the surcharges would provide some rate relief to both commercial and residential customers at a time when many are having financial difficulties as a result of the COVID-19 shutdown. “We’re not looking to decimate these programs, but we are saying, ‘We’ve got to take a breather,’” said Doug Gablinske, executive director of the Energy Council of Rhode Island, which represents large energy users.
In New York and New England, wind energy projects are “like siting landfills. Nobody wants them.”
The rural opposition has been so strong that earlier this year, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo added a provision, known as Article 23, to the state budget that effectively strips local communities of their ability to stop big renewable-energy projects from being built in their jurisdictions. ...New Englanders like the idea of wind energy they just don’t want any wind turbines in New England. So they are putting them in New York.
Senators ask ISO-NE to heed states on clean energy

First big U.S. offshore wind project hits snag due to fishing-industry concerns
BOEM spokesman Stephen Boutwell said NMFS is required to co-sign the project’s Record of Decision, a formal decision document, for the permit to be issued. The final environmental impact study and record of decision had originally been expected in April but were later delayed to June and then early July. Boutwell said the agency does not “have a date for these publications at this time.”
Pacheco raises concerns on offshore wind pricing
Mass. to double offshore wind procurements
A chart in the report noted the Vineyard Wind contract price was 6.5 cents per kilowatt hour in 2017 dollars, slightly higher than the price of Quebec hydro-electricity being purchased in a separate procurement and double the price of electricity produced with natural gas. The offshore wind price was half the price of the state’s least-subsidized solar power option.
Reliance on gas, renewables comes with risks, says grid operator
Although there are benefits to the way the system's underlying resources are evolving, the emphasized energy sources are more dependent on external conditions, van Welie said, as natural gas must be delivered just in time for use, and solar and wind power are dependent on weather.
Twitter spat erupts as FERC Chair scolds colleagues for post
The top U.S. energy regulator is chastising his colleagues in a very public Twitter dispute that shines a light on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s inner workings.
Charlie Baker defended wind power after a Republican congressman questioned him on Capitol Hill
“The small town went deeply into debt to finance them,” McClintock said during the hearing Wednesday. “The townspeople couldn’t bear the noise, the constant flickering light as 400-foot windmills turned. Property values plunged 20 percent. And I wonder how that squares with the bright picture that you painted.” Baker responded that one failed experience shouldn’t undermine “things we need to do with respect to mitigation, adaptation, and resiliency” to deal with climate change, emphasizing that solutions should be “practical and cost effective.”
What if an offshore wind farm was up and running last winter? Analysis shows the benefits and limitations of wind power
The analysis indicates a working wind farm last winter would have reduced the region’s carbon dioxide emissions and wholesale electricity prices, but not enough to eliminate the impact of the region’s pipeline constraints. The analysis also shows that a wind farm’s energy production is highly variable, going up and down fairly dramatically over the course of a day.
Conflicted DEP fails to address wind hazards
The DEP can no longer help enforce its own regulations because of its involvement in wind turbine contracts. The Project Regulatory Agreement does not take into consideration public health and safety it has become immoral with despicable inhuman conduct bordering on criminal. We know today the DEP has been aware residents have been living in a toxic environment around the wind turbines.
Clean energy bill negotiators file compromise bill
BOSTON - Just like two years ago, the Legislature is poised to consider a substantial piece of clean energy legislation on the final day of formal sessions.
Is Baker getting carried away with offshore wind?
Editorial: Will wind energy deliver?
Last week, Massachusetts announced the winner of a new offshore wind contract — which means the Bay State is about to get its first offshore wind farm. The Vineyard Wind project will be located at least a dozen miles south of Martha’s Vineyard and is expected to generate 800 megawatts of energy — enough to power 400,000 homes. Vineyard Wind is aiming for 2021 to be up and operational.
Split FERC approves ISO-NE CASPR plan
FERC approved ISO-NE’s two-stage capacity auction to accommodate state renewable energy procurements, with Commissioner Robert Powelson dissenting and Commissioners Cheryl LaFleur and Richard Glick leveling new criticism on the minimum offer price rule (MOPR) (ER18-619).
Solar, wind cutting New England power demands, but trouble expected in future
New England’s power grid is in good shape now and home solar and energy efficiency efforts mean the region’s annual demand for electricity is projected to decline, according to the grid’s operators. But there are also problems ahead.
NECA panelists talk carbon pricing, Northern Pass
AUBURNDALE, Mass. — Speakers at the Northeast Energy and Commerce Association Renewable Energy Conference on Feb. 1 discussed the merits and viability of different methods to achieve New England’s aggressive emission reduction goals.