clean energy

Massachusetts Sets New Solar Energy Target

Lucas Willard — Thu, 02 May 2013 16:48:04 +0000

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and other state officials announced yesterday a new target for solar energy installation in the commonwealth.

In his first term, Governor Patrick set a goal of reaching 250 megawatts of solar energy installed statewide by 2017. That goal has been reached four years early, prompting the Patrick-Murray Administration to set a new target of 1.6 gigwatts of solar power by 2020.

Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Rick Sullivan said that the rate of solar installation is increasing rapidly.

Mass. Grant Program to Encourage Electric Vehicle Adoption

Lucas Willard — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 16:21:50 +0000

On Monday, in the western Massachusetts town of Greenfield, state Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Rick Sullivan announced a new statewide grant program that will assist communities in investing in electric vehicles and infrastructure.

WAMC's Berkshire Bureau Chief Lucas Willard spoke with Secretary Sullivan about the new strategy to reduce the state's reliance on fossil fuels.

Secretary Sullivan and other state officials will also join residents in the town of Chelmsford to mark the launch of the program.

Greenfield Passes Moratorium on Biomass Energy Plants

Lucas Willard — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 17:54:40 +0000

The town council of Greenfield, Massachusetts has voted to approve a 14-month moratorium on industrial biomass power generators and all waste-to-energy projects until September, 2014.

It’s believed that the 14 month moratorium on industrial size biomass burning and all waste to energy projects in Greenfield is the first of its kind in Massachusetts. Eleven members of the 12-member town council approved the moratorium, with one member abstaining.

Community Programs Focus on Energy Conservation in Western Mass.

Lucas Willard — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 17:32:00 +0000

Residents of several Western Massachusetts communities will be able to participate in two separate initiatives designed to encourage energy efficiency.

Open discussions will be held in Lenox and North Adams this week for the public to offer ideas and gain more understanding of the area’s energy goals and of where the future of clean energy is headed.

That’s the goal of a collaborative effort between two organizations, the non-profit Western Massachusetts-based Center for Eco Technology, and the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission.

Noise Complaints Filed Against Hoosac Wind Project

Lucas Willard — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 19:31:53 +0000

Massachusetts residents living near a recently completed large-scale industrial wind farm in the Northern Berkshires have filed noise complaints to state officials.

This week a group of concerned residents called the Friends of Florida and Monroe met to communicate their experiences of living near the so-called Hoosac Wind Project, a 19-turbine wind farm owned and operated by Iberdrola Renewables in the Berkshire County town of Florida and neighboring Franklin County Town of Monroe.

Massachusetts State Government Seeks To Slash It's Energy Bill

Paul Tuthill — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 20:12:38 +0000

Top Massachusetts officials have announced a program to reduce energy consumption. It targets the largest energy user in Massachusetts, which is the state government.

Energy efficiency and conservation improvements will be made at 700 state owned facilities including more than 4000 buildings. The initiative, called the Accelerated Energy Program, aims to complete all the work within the next 700 days, according to the Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Rick Sullivan.

US to sell wind energy leases off 3 states

Lucas Willard — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 01:00:00 +0000

The federal government says it plans to sell leases for wind farms off the coasts of Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Virginia, marking the first time it has sold competitive leases for wind energy on the outer continental shelf.

The Department of Interior and its Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on Friday said the leases for two areas totaling more than 430 square miles would be sold next year.

Massachusetts Introduces New Biomass Regulations

Lucas Willard — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 21:06:31 +0000

The new regulations now up for a public comment for the next 30 days come after two years of study commissioned by the state Department of Energy and Resources. DOER Commissioner Mark Sylvia…

Biomass energy production comes from the generation of power by burning organic materials, most notably wood. Opponents of the practice say that unregulated biomass energy production can lead to overharvesting of timber, increased air pollution, and the excess release of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

Summit Assesses Renewable Energy Financing

Pat Bradley — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 20:26:35 +0000

The Vermont Clean Energy Investment Summit was hosted by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, Governor Peter Shumlin and the state Department of Public Service. Senator Sanders says it’s part of continuing efforts to make Vermont a leader in sustainable and renewable energy.