WE TAKE exception to Arnold Wallenstien’s recent commentary, in which he argues against a rapid transition from gas to renewable energy. First, he fails to consider the alternative to a rapid transition, which is climate chaos. He talks about “climate zealots” as if they were a fringe group who focus on exaggerated concerns and ignore reality. […]
Environment
Posted inOpinion
Decarbonization road map has some gaping holes
GOV. MAURA HEALEY has gotten off to a good running start on implementing the Commonwealth’s plans to combat climate change by establishing an Office of Climate Innovation and Resilience within the governor’s office and appointing a climate chief. The state’s long range climate change plans are embodied in the “Massachusetts 2050 Decarbonization Road Map,” which […]
Posted inEnergy, Environment
Avangrid seeking price relief on offshore wind, hydro projects
THE CEO of Avangrid told financial analysts on Wednesday that his company needs price relief on two of the biggest renewable projects in New England – a major wind farm off the coast of Nantucket and a transmission line carrying hydroelectricity into the region from Quebec. In his remarks, Pedro Azagra also voiced support for […]
Posted inOpinion
Is mining lithium in Maine a cost of going electric?
WHETHER THEY know it or not, both Maine Gov. Janet Mills and Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey have bet big on lithium, a critical element for making batteries for electric vehicles and other “green” technologies. Their administrations, to varying degrees, have supported electrifying everything. Massachusetts is now following California as one of several states to mandate […]
Posted inOpinion
Getting to yes on climate change response
CLIMATE CHANGE is real. So too is a massive transformation underway of electric power generation markets and transmission networks. That transformation is largely driven by public policies focused on electrification of vehicles, buildings, and industrial processes. This electrification, to achieve climate goals, will depend increasingly on electricity from wind and solar resources. Implementing these policies […]
Posted inEnvironment
Pollution inequality must stop; enforce roadmap law
MASSACHUSETTS IS HOME to some of the greatest inequalities in pollution in the nation. According to Northeastern Professor Daniel Faber, Boston ranks fourth for disparities in air pollution and Massachusetts ranks in the top three states in the country for locating hazardous waste facilities next to the elderly and people living in poverty. Moreover, he […]
Posted inOpinion
Septic system commentary was misleading, wrong
AN OPINION PIECE in CommonWealth that argued against adoption of the Department of Environmental Protection’s updated regulations governing septic systems was misleading and just plain wrong. Let’s review the facts. According to multiple authoritative DEP- and EPA-approved reports, over 50 detailed watershed studies by UMass Dartmouth, dozens of state-prepared and EPA-approved assessments, and the state- […]
Posted inOpinion
Everything is wrong with DEP’s Cape proposal
ON CAPE COD, 85 percent of homeowners rely on title 5 on-site septic disposal systems to treat their home’s wastewater. And right now, 100 percent of those homeowners are extremely concerned about a draft regulation rolled out by the state’s Department of Environmental Protection last month. The state agency is proposing that owners of every […]
Posted inEnergy, Environment
Power grid put under stress over Christmas holiday
A correction has been added to the story. OVER THE CHRISTMAS holiday, the New England power grid relied heavily on oil to meet the region’s electricity needs and for a 2 ½-hour period on December 24 had to scramble to cover a temporary shortfall in power supplies. The shortfall on the afternoon of December 24 […]
Posted inEnergy, Environment, State Government, State House News Service
Healey plucks AG aide as energy, environment secretary
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE REBECCA TEPPER, currently the chief of the energy and environment bureau in the attorney general’s office, will continue working under Maura Healey in the new year, joining the incoming governor’s Cabinet as secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. As EEA secretary, Tepper will oversee the state’s six […]