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In Boston, African Americans represent 24% of the population but account for only 12% to 14% of the workforce on large construction projects, according to a report from Climate Jobs Massachusetts. (Adobe Stock)

MA labor groups tackle climate crisis, income inequality

Massachusetts labor leaders say the state can meet its ambitious climate goals while creating quality jobs in communities facing the greatest threats …

Scientists say in order to avert the worst effects of climate change, global temperature increase must be limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius and emissions cut by 45% by 2030 to reach net zero by 2050. (Adobe Stock)

Scientists reconsider net-zero pledges to reach climate goals

By Stephen Battersby for the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.Broadcast version by Kathryn Carley for Commonwealth News Service…

Federal regulators are considering the effects modernizing America's energy grid will have on wildlife. A 2023 NatureServe report showed 40% of animals are at risk of extinction and 41% of ecosystems are at risk of range-wide collapse. (Adobe Stock)<br />

New transmission planning rule takes MA wildlife into account

Conservation groups in Massachusetts are backing the Biden Administration's new plan to update the nation's power grid. Studies show the U.S…

Studies show a correlation between ample tree canopy in urban areas and reduced heat-related ambulance calls during extreme heat events. (Adobe Stock)

New online tool helps Boston grow tree equity

A new online tool is helping community groups in Boston ensure all neighborhoods reap the benefits from urban tree canopies. The Tree Equity Score …

Lawmakers and environmental groups celebrate creation of the American Climate Corps. It's part of the Biden administration's Justice40 Initiative, which aims to ensure that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that have been overburdened by pollution. (Office of Sen. Ed Markey)

Lawmakers, youth activists celebrate creation of American Climate Corps

A new federal jobs program aims to mobilize tens of thousands of young Americans to address the growing threats of climate change. The American …

Burning wood releases fine particulate matter, which is easily inhaled and can lodge deep in the lungs, where it can cause chronic heart and lung disease and trigger asthma attacks, heart attacks, and premature death. (Adobe Stock)

Bills Aim to Close Biomass Loopholes in MA Clean Energy Laws

Environmental and community health advocates in Massachusetts are backing new legislation they say will close loopholes in the state's clean energy la…

A new report finds the 11 private colleges and universities of western Massachusetts alone contribute $3.3 billion annually to the regional economy, and are often the largest single employer and procurer of goods and services in many communities. (Adobe Stock)

Study Reveals Impact of Private Colleges, Universities on MA Economy

Private colleges and universities across Massachusetts have a more than $70 billion annual impact on the Commonwealth, according to a new report…

In a Pew Research Center survey, 57% of Americans cited reducing the budget deficit as a top priority for the president and Congress to address this year. That's up from 45% a year ago. (Adobe Stock)

MA Activists Urge Congress to Raise Debt Ceiling, Resist Spending Cuts

Local activists will rally in Boston Common tomorrow to urge Congress to lift the debt ceiling without cuts to social programs in return. President …

Former Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed a landmark climate law in 2021 which requires utilities like Eversource and National Grid to increase their renewable-energy portfolio by at least 3% every year. (Adobe Stock)

Boston Moves to Implement Climate-Friendly Building Code

Boston is set to become the eighth and largest city in the Commonwealth to implement a new state climate-friendly building code to reduce the use of f…

According to Extinction Rebellion, at least eight activists have been arrested at the construction site of the East Boston substation since Eversource began work on January 11. (Extinction Rebellion)

Protests, Construction Continue at East Boston Substation

Environmental activists are calling on Gov. Maura Healy to end construction of the Eversource electrical substation in East Boston, and move it to …

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs is working to identify cost-effective ways to ensure the state reduces greenhouse gas emissions by at least 85% by 2050 and achieves net-zero emissions. (Adobe Stock)

MA Leads Nation in 'Green' Building Development

Massachusetts ranks number one in the nation for "green" building development. The ranking is based on what's known as LEED certification, which is …

The average value of home weatherization installation, including appliance replacement, attic insulation and more, is over $4,000, according to National Grid. (Adobe Stock)

Keeping Out the Cold: Weatherization Help for Those in Need

Community service agencies say many low- and moderate-income homes in the Commonwealth are unprepared for the winter cold and could benefit from a num…

According to MASSCAP, a single-family household in the Commonwealth could be facing more than $3,000 in home heating-oil costs to make it through the winter. (Adobe Stock)<br /><br />

Preparing for Low Temperatures, High Energy Costs in MA

Community service agencies say requests for home heating assistance were increasing even before National Grid - the power company that serves many in …

The state of Massachusetts is soliciting proposals for 5,600 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2027, a vast increase from the 1,600 megawatt goal in the 2016 Act to Promote Energy Diversity.(Adobe Stock)

MA Working Through Fishing Industry Concerns About Offshore Wind

With many states working on becoming more carbon-neutral, Massachusetts is looking to offshore wind for its sustainable future. According to a 2021 …

Much like coal and oil, woody biomass is a carbon-burning form of energy production that emits carbon dioxide. (Adobe Stock)

Massachusetts Helping Turn Tide on Biomass Energy

Clean-energy advocates are hopeful Massachusetts' leadership on fighting biomass pollution will drive change in other states and nations. The Bay …

Home weatherization programs have evolved from placing plastic on windows. Industry leaders say crews analyze many aspects of the structure, including heating and cooling systems, the electrical system, and electric baseload appliances. (Adobe Stock)

In MA, Green Jobs Abound for Home Energy Upgrades

When it comes to "green jobs," installing solar panels and building wind turbines are often mentioned, and community action agencies in Massachusetts …

In 2020 alone, at least 2.58 billion cubic feet of methane gas leaked into communities and the atmosphere. (romaset/Adobe Stock)

Report: Last Decade Has Seen Too Many Methane Gas Leaks

A new report found in the last decade, there have been nearly 2,600 methane gas pipeline incidents in the U.S. serious enough to require reporting to …

Six hundred people in Massachusetts died of illnesses related to air pollution in their communities last year alone. (Andrei Murkulov/Adobe Stock)

MA Groups Push Bill to Stop Clean-Energy Subsidies for Woody Biomass Plants

SPRINGFIELD, Ma. -- Groups working to reduce air pollution are testifying at a hearing today to urge state lawmakers to prevent wood-burning biomass …

July 2020 was the hottest recorded month in Boston, and climate planners predict it's a record that could be broken often in the future. (Paolese/Adobe Stock)

MA Climate Planner Warns of Extreme Summer Heat

BOSTON -- More and more summer days in Massachusetts are reaching temperatures above 90 degrees, and climate resiliency planners say the trend is …

The landmark climate bill signed into law last month, among other measures, prioritizes decarbonizing buildings, which currently represent about 30% of the Commonwealth's emissions. (Adobe Stock)

MA Groups Look to Build on Landmark Climate Bill This Earth Day

BOSTON -- This Earth Day, as President Joe Biden convenes a climate summit with world leaders, Massachusetts environmentalists hope federal efforts …

A major climate-change bill that would set goals for sequestering carbon in Massachusetts forests, wetlands, salt marshes and trees in urban areas is awaiting Gov. Charlie Baker's signature. (Wikimedia Commons)

Baker Urged to Sign Major Climate-Change Bill

BOSTON -- Environmental-justice and climate-change advocates are urging Gov. Charlie Baker to sign a bill called An Act Creating a Next-Generation …

The Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant, the last one operating in Massachusetts, closed in 2019. (WBUR/Creative Commons)

Massachusetts Leads Power-Plant Emission Reductions in U.S.

BOSTON -- The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative has lowered power-plant emissions dramatically in the Northeast, and Massachusetts can take a lot of …

Massachusetts is one of three New England states facing double-digit cuts in the federal dollars allocated for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. (bryanucla/Pixabay)

MA Sees Major Cuts to Low-Income Heating Assistance

BOSTON – As the temperatures drop, so has the amount of funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program available to Massachusetts…

The new ACEEE report highlights Boston's zoning regulations that support wind energy systems. (Massachusetts Clean Energy Center)

Boston Ranks No. 1 in National Clean-Energy Report

BOSTON – A new report ranks Boston's clean-energy efforts first in the nation among 75 of the largest U.S. cities. In the 2019 City Clean …

Vineyard Wind is expected to build one of the first massive offshore wind farms in the U.S. (Andy Dingley/Wikimedia)

Offshore Wind Farm has MA Analyzing Impact on Fisheries

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. – A proposed offshore wind farm south of Martha's Vineyard could be the first industrial-sized facility of its kind in the U.…

Smog-creating air pollution from power plants in Ohio and Pennsylvania travels as far north as Massachusetts. (coffee/Pixabay)

Lawsuit Claims New EPA Rule Increases Interstate Smog in New England

BOSTON – Groups are suing the Environmental Protection Agency to make it enforce the "Good Neighbor" provisions of the Clean Air Act, …

Pregnant women are advised not to eat fish with high mercury levels, one of the reasons some are concerned about the new head of the EPA's deregulatory agenda, including efforts to roll back the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards rule. (Dale Cruse/Flickr)

Mass. Mom Questions Wheeler as Choice to Head EPA

AMHERST, Mass. – A group of ten moms visited Capitol Hill this week to oppose Andrew Wheeler's confirmation as EPA administrator. This …

Mass. has a target of 3.2 GW of offshore wind power by 2035, but advocates hoped for more. (David_Kaspar/Pixabay)

Climate Rallies Challenge Mass. to Do More

WORCESTER, Mass. – On Saturday, Bay Staters will be participating in Rise for Climate, Jobs and Justice, an international day of action for …

Environmentalists say raising fuel-efficiency standards helps slow climate change that causes severe weather, flash floods and extreme temperatures. (Schwoaze/Pixabay)

MA Set to Sue EPA to Maintain Fuel-Efficiency Standard

MEDFORD, Mass. – State, city and business leaders say the EPA's plan to freeze the fuel-efficiency standard is bad for public health, the …

Time is running short for the Massachusetts House and Senate to decide on the rate of growth for renewable energy in the Commonwealth. (Pixabay)

Commonwealth Could Be National Leader in Renewables

BOSTON – The Massachusetts House and Senate have passed energy bills that dictate the percentage of renewable energy in which the Commonwealth w…

Many of the EPA regulations that Scott Pruitt scrapped or delayed as EPA administrator had not yet taken effect before his resignation. (Wikimedia Commons)

Government Watchdog Groups: Pruitt's EPA Exit "Long Overdue"

WASHINGTON – After allegedly overspending on everything from pens to lavish trips and accepting questionable deals from lobbyists, government …

A 30-Megawatt offshore wind farm, the first in the nation, went into operation off Block Island in 2016. (U.S. Dept. of Energy)

MA Moves Closer to Harvesting Offshore Wind Power

BOSTON – The Bay State has taken a major step toward construction of the nation's first major offshore wind farm. Vineyard Wind has been …

A carbon tax could be used to help reduce pollution from carbon-based fuels such as gasoline. (andreas160578/Pixabay)

New Coalition to Fight Carbon Pollution

BOSTON – State lawmakers have launched a multistate coalition to collaborate on legislation to combat carbon pollution. The Carbon Costs …

Extreme weather has caused an estimated half-trillion dollars in damage in the U.S. in 2017. (WikiImages/Pixabay)

Resolving to Fight Climate Change in 2018

BOSTON -- Catastrophic hurricanes, severe flooding and raging wildfires fueled by drought have been prominent features of an eventful year for the …

Natural-gas pipeline opponents say they'll protest again Friday at Gov. Charlie Baker's office. (350 Mass For a Better Future)

Bay State Consumers "Overcharged" Billions by Utilities?

BOSTON – A new report says two utility companies inflated energy costs for their customers in Massachusetts and other New England states…

New England groups are concerned about how Congress is dealing with nuclear waste. Currently, highly radioactive fuel rods are stored on site in spent fuel pools or dry cask storage. (NRC)

Cape Downwinders Oppose House Plan to Revive Nuke Dump Plan

HARWICH, Mass. -- A bill reviving plans to ship thousands of tons of highly radioactive waste thousands of miles by road, rail and barge may come up …

Donald Trump is not the first president to attempt to put the brakes on renewable energy sources such as solar power, and New England advocates say the region is likely to push back. (Pixabay)

Bay State Bracing for New D.C. Wind & Solar Political Climate

BOSTON -- Despite President Trump pulling out of the Paris Climate Accord, New England states and many Americans continue to embrace the idea of …

Multiple Massachusetts groups say President Donald Trump already declared a

Not Much Traction in Bay State for Trump Climate Move

BOSTON – Promising to save trillions of dollars in lost domestic product and millions of industrial jobs, President Donald Trump announced …

New legislation in the U.S. Senate bill is aimed at protecting whistleblowers at such facilities as the Pilgrim Nuclear Generating Station. (Entergy)

Government Whistleblowers Get New Protections in Senate Bill

DUXBURY, Mass. – A bill has been introduced in the U.S. Senate that would further protect whistleblowers at Pilgrim and other nuclear sites…

Bay State industries such as this textile plant in Lowell are projected to reap big energy costs savings by 2030 according to new studies on the impact of the Clean Power Plan. (Daderot at English Wikipedia)

Study Forecasts Billions in Energy Cost Savings for Bay State Industries

BOSTON - States challenging the president's Clean Power Plan claim it would raise electricity prices and cost jobs, but two separate new studies say …

A new report projects 4,000 childhood asthma attacks every summer in the Bay State from pollution created by oil and gas facilities. (D. Petrobras/Wikimedia)

Smog from Oil, Gas Facilities Linked to Asthma Attacks for Mass. Kids

BOSTON -- A first-of-its-kind analysis of the health impacts in the U.S. from ozone smog pollution caused by the oil and gas industry found that …

Massachusetts made history this month by signing into law the largest commitment of any state in the nation to offshore wind power. (Amber Hewett)

Commonwealth Gets Ball Rolling “Big Time” on Wind Power

BOSTON – August has proved to be a pivotal month for offshore wind power in the Commonwealth and the region. Catherine Bowes, senior manager …

Adoption of the Clean Power Plan will save Bay State businesses tens of millions of dollars, according to a new report from the Georgia Institute of Technology. (Boston Water and Sewer Commission).

Report: Tens of Millions in Savings for MA Businesses Under Clean Power Plan

BOSTON – A new report shows retail and office buildings could save big bucks by implementing efficiency measures to help the Bay State comply wi…

As state lawmakers consider a measure to boost wind energy, a new report shows the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative is producing major carbon pollution drops in the Bay State and region. (Kim Hansen)

New Data Shows Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Working for Bay State

BOSTON - A new report finds the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative is producing major drops in climate pollution in states such as Massachusetts…

$Opponents of Spectra Energy's natural gas pipeline plan are marching more than 40 miles today to protest transporting fracked gas into the Bay State. (350 Mass)$

Fracking Opponents in Massachusetts Plan March

BOSTON – Opponents of building new fracking gas pipelines in Massachusetts plan to march more than 40 miles today to call attention to their cau…

Solar power already is generating more than 15,000 jobs in Massachusetts, and advocates say success of the Juno probe in outer space indicates more room for growth. (NASA)

Solar Equals 15,000-Plus MA Jobs: Juno Probe Shows Greater Prospects

BOSTON – One way to look at the prospects for solar power in New England is to look to outer space and the Juno space probe now orbiting Jupiter…

Bay State consumers could save at the utility meter with a cost effective clean power plan, according to a new report. (Kristoferb via wiki)

Study Shows Savings in Commonwealth with Clean Power Plan

BOSTON – Implementing the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan could cut carbon emissions and save consumers in the Commonwe…

Boston ranks 11th out of 36 cities in a study of how ready they are to accommodate a surge in numbers of electric vehicles on the road. (frankh/Flickr)

Boston in Top Third of Electric Vehicle-Ready Cities

BOSTON - Gas prices are pretty low right now, so there hasn't been a big uptick in interest in electric vehicles, but economists think that will …

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MA: Energy Policy