Last week, U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry issued a letter asking the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to consider adopting rules that would provide non-market compensation to generating units like coal and nuclear power plants. Per federal statute, the FERC is obligated to at least consider Perry’s proposal, but is not required to accept it…..

National Grid (NGRID) recently filed electric default rates with the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) that are set to increase a massive 34 percent starting November 1. Both residential and commercial customers will be affected by the filing. For example, residential customers can expect NGRID’s fixed basic service rate to increase from $0.09432 per….

As Hurricane Jose makes its way up the east coast, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) has issued a tropical storm warning for parts of New England: from Watch Hill, Rhode Island, to Hull, Massachusetts, including Block Island, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket. A tropical storm watch has also been issued along the coast of Long Island….

Over the past few days, Hurricane Harvey has devastated thousands of people in southeastern Texas and the surrounding area. The category 4 hurricane has topped 130 miles per hour and dumped 50 inches of rain around Houston. In addition to this unprecedented devastation, the hurricane has also wreaked havoc on the region’s refining industry. According….

The Baker administration plans to propose rules that would count woody biomass – a fuel that comes from felling trees and clearing brush in forests – as a form of renewable energy. Under the proposal, users of woody biomass could be rewarded with subsidiaries. The administration claims that biomass is part of the effort to….

Last week, Deepwater Wind, an offshore wind and transmission developer based in Providence, Rhode Island, announced plans to bring a new offshore wind farm to Massachusetts. Deepwater developed the country’s first offshore wind project near Block Island, Rhode Island. That project began operations in December 2016 after being initiated nine years ago. (The developer has….

Next month’s solar eclipse could threaten solar farms and rooftop panels across the United States, in the process wiping out enough power to supply seven million homes. A total solar eclipse has not occurred in the U.S. since 1979. On August 21, however, the moon will totally obscure the sun and cast a 70-mile-wide shadow….

Recently, Public Service Company of New Hampshire (Eversource) filed new default energy service rates with the New Hampshire PUC effective January 1, 2018. Currently, all Eversource customer classes are eligible to receive the same fixed default service rate (except for cases of competitive supply). With this new filing, however, Eversource will have two default service….

On May 16, 2017, the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) issued an order (docket D.P.U. 17-10) instituting a rulemaking process to modify current net metering regulations (220 C.M.R. § 18.00) as they relate to hydropower. The new provisions would, for example: add the definition of “small hydroelectric net metering facility” to the current net….

On Monday, June 5, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) filed 225 CMR 20.00, an emergency regulation with the Secretary of the Commonwealth to implement the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) Program. The SMART Program is designed to establish a statewide solar incentive program to encourage the continued use and development of generating units….