AT A TIME when our country is already in the grips of a global pandemic and social unrest, a disagreement over an obscure solar policy may seem unimportant – trivial even. But this summer, Massachusetts is threatening to tie the hands of its farmers by making it much more difficult for them to host solar […]
Solar power
Posted inEnvironment, Opinion
Parity for renewables is key to energy tax policy
THE CLIMATE CRISIS is the most pressing issue of our time — and increasingly it’s an intractable one. Nowhere is this borne out more in Massachusetts than on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket. Ever worsening storms have led to rising sea levels and eroding shores, and temperature changes are affecting marine and terrestrial ecosystems […]
Posted inOpinion
Electricity trick or treat?
Well-intentioned law has been corrupted by con men BY DANIEL STEVENS AS SUMMER SWINGS into high gear, our electric bills do, too. Modern life dictates that we need power to keep us cool. To try and reduce electricity prices for people living in Massachusetts, a few years ago, the state Legislature created a program called […]
Posted inEnvironment
Renewables not cheap
IN DECEMBER, A company called CleanChoice Energy mailed out a sales pitch to electricity customers in eastern Massachusetts. The letter acknowledged that 100 percent renewable energy from solar and wind would cost “a little more” than “polluting energy,” but said the added expense was worth it. “That’s because the energy you are choosing is better […]
Posted inEnvironment, The Back Story
Solar cap clamor resurfacing already
It’s starting again. A little over a month ago, Gov. Charlie Baker signed into law a bill that lifted the cap on solar net metering credits, making it possible for projects that had been stalled for close to a year to start moving forward. The bill-signing followed a long and bitter dispute between utilities and […]
Posted inThe Download
Time running short on solar
With time starting to run short on Beacon Hill, solar power advocates are mounting an inside-outside campaign to convince a six-member legislative conference committee to lift the cap on net metering. Inside the State House, the advocates played a key, behind-the-scenes role in convincing 100 House members to walk away from a previous vote slashing […]
Posted inThe Back Story
Inside the solar negotiations
A legislative conference committee trying to bridge a philosophical gap between the House and Senate on solar power is making progress, but some new stumbling blocks are emerging. Sources familiar with the discussions say the two sides are starting to bridge their differences over how much solar developers should be paid for the electricity they […]
Posted inThe Back Story
Listen to what’s not said about solar
In the increasingly contentious debate over solar energy, listen to what’s not said as much as what is said. The state’s utilities and their business allies talk about the high cost of solar, but never mention its benefits. Solar developers and advocates talk about the benefits, but almost never talk about the cost. The result […]
Posted inEnvironment, State House News Service
Healey backs lifting cap on solar subsidy
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE ATTORNEY GENERAL MAURA HEALEY said Monday she backs an immediate lifting of the cap on one type of solar production subsidies in Massachusetts. In written testimony to the chairmen of the Legislature’s energy committee ahead of a hearing slated for Tuesday, Healey said public and private net metering caps have been […]