CT, RI sue over federal offshore wind work orders

Connecticut and Rhode Island are suing the Trump administration over orders to halt work on offshore wind developments.

The federal orders demand work cease on Revolution Wind, located off the Rhode Island coast. It is expected to power 350,000 New England homes and if construction continues unabated, it would be operational by next year.

Jamie Dickerson, senior director of climate and clean energy programs at the Acadia Center, said the work stoppage could raise consumer costs.

“The projects, as they were supposed to come online, would have substantially hedged the region against those volatile winter fuel costs,” Dickerson explained. “Because the offshore wind contracts are at a fixed price, it reduced the amount the region would otherwise have to pay for more expensive fossil fuels.”

A new study showed offshore wind has the potential to save New England residents $400 million a year in energy costs. It comes as Connecticut has the third-highest electricity costs nationwide. The federal action also halts grants for ports to be developed into offshore wind ports. Bridgeport will lose a $10.5 million grant allocated in 2022 for the construction of an operations, maintenance and wind facility.

The effects of the federal order go beyond ratepayers’ cost, affecting state economies as well. Connecticut and Rhode Island saw an additional 1,200 jobs from the Revolution Wind project. Dickerson pointed out not just about the jobs at the port but indirect jobs stemming from the burgeoning industry.

“The fishermen and the mariners, and the navigators who have been benefiting from the ripple effect investments of these offshore wind project developments, shuttling workers to and from ports to the staging facilities and the vessels offshore,” Dickerson outlined.

Studies have shown Connecticut has significant potential for being a hub for the offshore wind supply chain. Aside from the federal challenges, the state has shown some wavering commitment to clean energy. Gov. Ned Lamont pulled Connecticut from a multistate offshore wind deal last year and a natural gas pipeline expansion is being given preliminary approval.

To read the full article from Public News Service, click here.

Editorial: Healey concedes natural gas’ key role in energy mix

When it comes to energy supplies, the corner office — at least for the time being — has chosen economic pragmatism over ideology.

Gov. Maura Healey signaled that shift by expressing her support for Eversource Energy’s proposal to lock in more natural gas for Massachusetts, a sign that at least one official in her administration sees fossil fuel continuing as an integral component of the state’s energy mix.

Nonetheless environmental advocates said regulators should carefully weigh whether more gas infrastructure is warranted.

“Acadia Center is reviewing the proposed pipeline expansion project, which responds to the task given to gas utilities by the DPU to phase-out reliance on Everett Marine Terminal,” the group said in a statement.

“Phasing-out reliance on EMT should be done first with all available clean energy solutions, rather than with expanded gas pipeline supply.”

To read the full article from the Lowell Sun, click here.

Revolution Wind developer sues Trump administration over stop-work order

Less than two weeks after the Trump administration issued a stop-work order for Revolution Wind — a large and nearly complete wind farm off the coasts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island — the company behind the project, is pushing back.

Ørsted, one of the largest offshore wind developers in the world, sued the administration in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Thursday. In its complaint, the company called the stop work order “unlawful,” claiming it “lacks any evidentiary basis” and was issued “without statutory authority.”

“We didn’t believe these actions taken by the president were lawful, and I’m really glad to see Ørsted pushing back heavily,” said Kyle Murray, Massachusetts program director at the Acadia Center, a clean energy research and advocacy nonprofit. “Hopefully this lawsuit will prevail.”

To read the full article from wbur, click here.

CT’s Latest Climate Report Shows Emissions in 2023 Decreased in the Two Largest Sources of Climate Pollution: Transportation and Buildings

(HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (“DEEP”) published its latest Greenhouse Gas (“GHG”) Emissions Inventory, a comprehensive documentation of Connecticut’s air pollution that contributes to climate change. DEEP has issued this report since 2003, and also now in accordance with Public Act 25-125, signed into law by Governor Lamont earlier this month.

“Connecticut deserves credit for tracking emissions as the state works to meet clear, scientifically driven goals to reduce climate pollution” said Daniel Sosland, president of Acadia Center. “Acadia Center thanks DEEP for making emissions information publicly available, allowing the state and stakeholders to see where progress is being made and better adjust to challenges in the effort to build a clean energy economy. Addressing climate is essential to positioning Connecticut for a stronger economic future, reducing energy costs, and making needed improvements in housing and transportation that will improve the quality of life in its communities.”

To read the full article from the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, click here.

Healey backs natural gas transmission project

STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, SEPT. 3, 2025…..Gov. Maura Healey signaled support for Eversource’s proposal to lock in more natural gas for Massachusetts, offering an indication she sees the fossil fuel as an important part of the state’s energy mix even as her administration presses forward with longer-term climate goals.

Environmental advocates said regulators should carefully weigh whether more gas infrastructure is the right path. “Acadia Center is reviewing the proposed pipeline expansion project, which responds to the task given to gas utilities by the DPU to phase-out reliance on Everett Marine Terminal,” the group said in a statement.

“Phasing-out reliance on EMT should be done first with all available clean energy solutions, rather than with expanded gas pipeline supply.” The group also cautioned against long-term risks to consumers. “By doubling down on gas, Massachusetts and the region risk locking consumers into deeper and more expensive fuel cost exposure that will keep ratepayers paying higher bills for decades longer,” Acadia Center said.

To read the full article from State House News, click here.

RI Energy Seeking to Trim Efficiency Incentives and Rebates for Residents

PROVIDENCE — Environmental groups are warning state officials that proposed cuts to Rhode Island’s energy efficiency programs will raise utility bills, spark inflation, and put residents out of work.

Rhode Island’s energy efficiency programs offer residents a buffet of incentives and rebates aimed at saving on their home energy use. They range from purchasing energy-saving major appliances to weatherizing households to conserve energy.

Emily Koo, Rhode Island program director for the Acadia Center, told council members the budget cuts outlined in the draft plan were a disservice to Rhode Islanders, and that state officials should push back against cuts.

“The original three-year plan cuts in the second draft are a 30% budget reduction,” said Koo. “It will eliminate an estimated $92 million in benefits to all of Rhode Island.”

Koo and the Acadia Center also noted each energy efficiency plan was required to conduct a cost-benefit analysis for each program, and that neither the gas nor the electric program had shown to cost more than the benefits received from the program.

To read the full article from ecoRI, click here.

New report reveals effective solution to avoiding blackouts during 100+ degree days: ‘Something … replicable by other utilities in the country’

As summer temperatures force residents in New England to crank up their air conditioners, the use of solar energy appears to have helped take the heat off regional power grids.

During the dog days of summer, millions of people usually attempt to find relief from the scorching heat in any way that they can. That usually means turning to air conditioning, which can often lead to a surge of electricity usage, sometimes resulting in the occasional regional blackout.

In a recent report from the Acadia Center, the use of behind-the-meter solar likely helped prevent a potential loss of power June 24, when much of the region saw temperatures soar above 100 degrees.

“Five-plus gigawatts of BTM solar helped the region’s power grid ride through one of the hottest days of the year, which tested the grid’s reliability with the highest peak demand in several years,” the report read.

To read the full article from the Cool Down, click here.

‘Natural gas is not in the future’: Could a ban on new gas hookups come to Aquidneck Island?

NEWPORT – When state regulators extended the life of a controversial liquefied natural gas facility in Portsmouth last year, they did so with less than whole-hearted support.

The members of the Energy Facility Siting Board accepted Rhode Island Energy’s argument that the LNG storage and vaporization plant on Old Mill Lane in Portsmouth is necessary, at least for the foreseeable future, to back up Aquidneck Island’s natural gas system, which may be vulnerable to disruptions because it’s located at an endpoint of the region’s network of supply pipelines.

In 2021, the environmental groups Conservation Law Foundation and the Acadia Center argued a ban was justified after passage of the Act on Climate, the state law that requires Rhode Island to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

To read the full article from the Providence Journal, click here.

What to know about Mass.’ new electricity rates for heat pump users

Using an electric heat pump in Massachusetts is about to become more affordable.

Beginning in November, the state’s three big electric utilities — Eversource, National Grid and Unitil — will offer cheaper electric rates during the coldest months of the year for households that use a heat pump.

“Part of the reason it has been difficult to get owners to switch from gas to electric is that the math hasn’t always penciled out in terms of cost savings,” said Kyle Murray, Massachusetts program director for the Acadia Center, a nonprofit that advocates for clean energy policies. Murray said the new winter rates “will likely make heat pumps significantly more affordable.”

A recent report commissioned by several environmental groups, including the Acadia Center, found that with the new rates, 45% of households would reduce their heating bill by installing a heat pump. The Department of Public Utilities, which ordered the utilities to implement these rates, said the average household with a heat pump should save about $540 this winter.

To read the full article from wbur, click here.

Why a new gas pipeline into New England may (or may not) lower energy bills

New England is at an energy crossroads: Demand for electricity is expected to rise for the first time in nearly 20 years. Offshore wind and other renewables aren’t being built at the speed and price once predicted. And many people still have sticker shock after a winter of exceptionally high utility bills.

On the other side of the debate are those who say a new gas pipeline is simply a bad investment — for energy prices and the planet.

“There really is no economic case for expanded gas pipeline capacity in the region, and that’s because we think consumers are going to be left worse off as a result,” said Jamie Dickerson,  senior director for climate and clean energy programs at the Acadia Center, a Boston-based research and advocacy nonprofit.

While there hasn’t been a new interstate pipeline into New England in a long time, several developers have expanded the diameter of some existing pipes and built new compressor stations to push more gas through. Since 2014, the total capacity on major pipelines into the region has increased 51%, Dickerson said. And during that time frame, the cost of gas has gone up for utility customers.

Kyle Murray, Massachusetts program director at the Acadia Center, had a challenge for anyone supporting new pipeline along economic lines.

“ I would say, ‘Prove your case, show your math,’ ” he said. “Because I don’t think the math bears out.”

If ratepayers in the region are going to pay for energy infrastructure to bolster the supply of electricity in the short-term and help control costs, Dickerson, of the Acadia Center, said they’d be better off funding more electric transmission lines, like a project in Maine slated to come online later this year.

“If there’s a desire to spend a billion dollars on linear infrastructure,” he said, “I think there’s no doubt about it that transmission is going to be a wiser course than a gas pipeline.”

To read the full article from wbur, click here.