New England’s Electric Grid Operator Stands in the Way of Clean Energy
New England won’t be able to meet its climate goals and enjoy the benefits of clean energy unless our grid operator undertakes serious reform.

New England won’t be able to meet its climate goals and enjoy the benefits of clean energy unless our grid operator undertakes serious reform.
Ensuring a just economic recovery from the pandemic means not following a business-as-usual model. Instead, we must prioritize people’s health, provide direct relief to families and individuals, and invest in the future of our communities.
Over 40% of New England’s climate-damaging emissions billow from the exhaust pipes of our cars, trucks, semis, buses, and trains. We cannot solve climate change without cutting that pollution. And in the process, we have a unique opportunity to reimagine our region’s transportation systems as ones that are both affordable and accessible to everyone.
Tuesday’s verdict was one welcome step toward change. But at CLF, we believe that real progress lies in systemic policy change that will break down the racist systems that have been in place for generations – ending white supremacy in this country.
We find ourselves on the cusp of a sea change in how we transport people and goods as we urgently work to cut the climate-damaging emissions that spew from New Englanders’ tailpipes.
Biden’s infrastructure package represents a critical investment in our future, infusing much-needed funding to ramp up New England’s transition to a carbon-free economy by 2050.
We’re tackling transportation from all sides.
Regulators have known for more than 20 years that vessel strikes kill right whales at an alarming rate. But to date, they haven’t put forward a real solution.
No state here in New England has required its utilities to assess their vulnerability to climate change – or take action to prepare for it. With our homes, lives, and livelihoods at stake, allowing utilities to be so unprepared is irresponsible and simply too big a risk to take. CLF is pushing to change that – starting with Massachusetts.
Shannon Laun is the Vice President for Connecticut. Her work focuses on using legal and policy solutions to address climate change, facilitate an equitable transition to a clean energy economy, and reduce harmful pollution that threatens human health and the environment. Before joining CLF as a staff attorney in early 2021, Shannon worked as an… Continue reading Shannon Laun