by Lisa Prevost, Energy News NetworkNovember 13, 2024 As a state committee studies ways to wean Rhode Island off of natural gas, several of its members want the group’s final report to dismiss one potential pathway as wholly unrealistic. Switching to renewable natural gas or other alternative fuels appears to be neither a feasible nor […]
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Posted inNews
Massachusetts is expanding its pathbreaking vehicle fleet electrification program
by Sarah Shemkus, Energy News Network June 20, 2024 Massachusetts is in the process of tripling the size of its first-in-the-nation vehicle fleet electrification program following a recent influx of federal money. “We are really looking at the barriers, the challenges, the things that we need to figure out to get decarbonization to happen at […]
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A Boston grocery store could become a proving ground for a new approach to equitable community solar
by Sarah Shemkus, Energy News NetworkMarch 19, 2024 A group of energy equity advocates in Boston is launching a community solar cooperative they say could be a scalable model for both reducing carbon emissions and building wealth in disadvantaged communities. The Boston Community Solar Cooperative is in the pre-development stage of an 81 kilowatt solar […]
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Massachusetts group seeks on-ramp to electric vehicle industry for Black-owned businesses
by Sarah Shemkus, Energy News NetworkApril 12, 2023 A Massachusetts organization is stepping up its efforts to help Black-owned businesses tap into the influx of money expected to pour into the electric vehicle sector in coming years and become full participants in an industry that is likely to see significant growth. “There’s plenty of money. […]
Posted inCity & Government, News
Rhode Island lawmaker wants to require solar on new homes and parking lots
by Lisa Prevost, Energy News NetworkApril 5, 2023 A freshman lawmaker in Rhode Island has opened a provocative discussion: why not mandate solar panels on most new construction? Rep. Jennifer Boylan, a Democrat who has solar panels on her home in Barrington, said she sees every instance in which a new building goes up without […]
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After five years of bureaucratic limbo, Cape Cod clean energy program finally comes to fruition
by Sarah Shemkus, Energy News Network After five years of rejections, revisions, appeals, and resubmissions, a Cape Cod energy organization has received state approval for a first-of-its-kind pilot program providing a package of solar panels, heat pumps, and battery storage to low-income households. The program, called the Cape and Vineyard Electric Offering, will provide all […]
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Electric trucks are coming. Will the Northeast’s grid be ready for them?
by Lisa Prevost, Energy News Network March 6, 2023 While the Northeast is ramping up efforts to electrify the diesel-powered truck fleets that rumble through its major freight corridors, the region lacks a vision for what the increased electricity demand will mean for the grid and vehicle charging infrastructure. A new study headed up by […]
Posted inBusiness, Jobs
Massachusetts heat pump installer network has momentum in second year
by Sarah Shemkus, Energy News Network March 3, 2023 Massachusetts’ network of vetted and trained heat pump installers is emerging as an essential asset for achieving the state’s ambitious heating electrification goals. Since its launch in early 2022, the network has enrolled nearly 850 contractors who completed more than 18,000 heat pump installations last year, […]
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Rhode Island climate goals may require statewide ban on new gas hookups
by Lisa Prevost, Energy News Network Rhode Island’s top utility regulator says a statewide moratorium on new gas hookups is on the table as the state works to meet its ambitious climate goals. “That doesn’t mean it happens tomorrow,” said Ronald Gerwatowski, chair of the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission, during a proceeding Thursday. “But […]