When it comes to national leadership, New England has always been ahead of the curve. The first public school, the first newspaper, the first veteran’s hospital, and even the first microwave oven were all pioneered in our backyard. And on environmental progress, our region’s legacy is just as sterling. Since long before the age of… Continue reading Putting Climate Change on the Ballot in 2018
Maine just took an important step forward in the fight against climate change. In a move that will help Maine reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions in the power sector, the Maine Legislature recently passed a bill that commits the state to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) for the years 2021 to 2030. Maine was… Continue reading Maine Recommits to Cutting Carbon Pollution
… Elected officials catch much of the blame for the failure to have protections in place, but Deanna Moran, director of environmental planning for the Conservation Law Foundation in Boston, said that’s not entirely fair. “It’s not the just city or state leadership, we also need leadership from developers,” Moran said. “Some of the easiest… Continue reading As giant storms hammer Boston, officials are doing little to prepare for them
“Vermonters are the losers in a recent agreement aimed to sweeten the deal for the sale of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant,” said CLF Senior Attorney Sandra Levine. “In a rush to secure a possible – and by no means certain – quick clean-up of the site, the settlement excludes reasonable protection for Vermont communities. The deal Entergy and NorthStar proposed leaves Vermonters vulnerable to picking up the tab if something goes wrong.”
“The Senate stood up for Mainers today by supporting our right to affordable, clean energy,” said CLF attorney Emily Green. “The PUC has tried to gut solar energy across our state by charging families and businesses for the energy they generate and use at home. Today, the Maine Senate stepped away from those bad policies, moving instead towards policy that creates jobs, lowers our energy bills, and makes local clean energy available to everyone.”
“Northern Pass’s motion is an act of desperation,” said Tom Irwin, Vice President and Director of CLF New Hampshire. “After months of hearings, the committee recognized that Northern Pass would be bad for our state, harming the many communities in its path. New Hampshire has rejected this harmful project, and it should stay firmly off of the table.”
Recently, Massachusetts senators announced An Act to Promote a Clean Energy Future, perhaps the most ambitious and comprehensive piece of climate legislation since the passage of the Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) and its companion Green Communities Act a decade ago. It is a welcome and much-needed step forward, representing a strong understanding on Beacon… Continue reading Moving Massachusetts Into a Clean Energy Future
“Moving forward with New England Clean Energy Connect is good news for both Massachusetts and New Hampshire,” said Brad Campbell, President of CLF. “The steps laid out by the Department of Energy Resources will establish, on the record, that the destructive, unpopular, and excessively expensive Northern Pass project is not feasible – and the concurrent negotiation with Avangrid will keep the process moving toward a better option.”
“This ambitious bill is a bold statement of our need to fight for the health and safety of our communities,” said David Ismay, Senior Attorney at CLF. “Climate change is already affecting families and businesses across our state, and these comprehensive solutions will help us reach our 2050 climate goals and beyond. The future of Massachusetts is clean energy that is affordable and accessible to everyone. This omnibus bill gives us the opportunity to simultaneously reduce our emissions, bring good jobs to the region, and invigorate our neighborhoods.”
The ISO’s Forward Capacity Auction 12, conducted on Monday, February 5, 2018, once again shows that the proposed Invenergy fracked gas and diesel oil power plant is not needed. What Is the Forward Capacity Auction? The Independent System Operator-New England (ISO) is the entity that runs the New England electricity grid. The ISO is regulated… Continue reading ISO Forward Capacity Auction Results Show (Yet Again) Invenergy Is Not Needed
