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Massachusetts Passes Climate Bill Focused on Clean Energy and Offshore Wind

Law and Environment

5060 ), titled An Act Driving Clean Energy and Offshore Wind, into law on Thursday August 11, 2022. Other provisions include a ban on incentives and rebates from Mass Save related to fossil fuel powered systems, except as backup for electric heat pumps. Electric Grid. Governor Baker signed the climate bill ( H.5060

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Ask a Scientist: Gas Plants Disproportionately Harm Marginalized Communities

Union of Concerned Scientists

Gas, which now generates 40 percent of US electricity, is considered by some to be critical to maintain grid reliability. For example, Dominion Energy, an electric and gas utility in Virginia, is planning to build a mammoth 1,000-megawatt gas plant in an area with a high percentage of residents who are people of color and low-income.

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Ask a Scientist: The US Has to Do More to Meet Its Carbon Emissions Reduction Goals

Union of Concerned Scientists

The legislation committed nearly $400 billion to support, among other things, wind and solar power, battery storage, electric vehicles, and other clean energy technologies that will make a significant dent in US heat-trapping emissions. How is that going to happen? Their report, however, comes with a warning.

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NREL partners to identify strategies for a more equitable clean energy transition in Los Angeles

Environmental News Bits

As Angelenos wake up for the day, they turn on lights powered by 100% clean electricity. Their homes are cool, protected from the … Continue reading NREL partners to identify strategies for a more equitable clean energy transition in Los Angeles

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A Handy New Chart Shows Clean Energy’s Remarkable Progress

Union of Concerned Scientists

Whatever the weather in March and beyond—in-like-a-lion blustery or out-like-a-lamb sunny—spring tends to be a season of strong electricity production from solar and wind in particular. Spring is also a glorious time for taking stock, since the official data on the previous year’s US electricity generation become available.

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Can Solar, Storage and Efficiency Help Us Survive Winters Like This?

Union of Concerned Scientists

Without electricity or heat, some people apparently turned to portable generators, which can fill a home with carbon monoxide exhaust. This means that for an indefinite amount of time—depending on the cause of the outage —a home can go without electricity for lighting, heating, cooling and other needs that people depend on every day.

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Danger Season Heat Is on–It’s Past Time to Act

Union of Concerned Scientists

We would run around all day until we finally needed to cool off, which meant we would go to whoever’s house had the most sodas, ice cream, or popsicles. Just last week I went without electricity and air conditioning for over 8 hours on a day when the heat index reached over 105°F. Without electricity, our home reached 87°F.

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