Every now and then, those of us who stick our necks out to support policy solutions have to admit that what initially sounded like a good idea turned out to be the wrong path. This is one of those times. When the Baker administration first proposed having electric distribution companies (EDCs) enter into long term […]
Debate continues to rage about the cost of solar in Massachusetts, especially as legislation is introduced to continue the net metering credits which are responsible for much of the solar development in the state. The basics of the net-metering program are simple: Through this credit mechanism, the purchasing customers do not actually use the electricity […]
Without a doubt, the immense complexity of the situation surrounding the construction of pipelines for incremental capacity in New England creates many uncertainties. Facing both legal and political challenges, pipeline projects face an uphill battle to come into operation. In order to alleviate reliability and price concerns, something must be done. The merits of an […]
Good Afternoon Chairman Downing, Chairman Golden, members of the Committee. My name is Cynthia Arcate. I am the President and CEO of PowerOptions. Thank you for the opportunity to provide you with my views on the state of energy in the Commonwealth. I have about 30 years of experience in the energy industry, in both […]
Right now, it seems like Massachusetts remains on the slow boat to natural gas pipeline expansion, which is impacting prices for customers and reliability for power generators. The region needs an expedient solution to avoid an energy crisis which may only have been tempered by the recent drop in oil prices that made LNG more […]
In a recent blog, Christophe Courchesne of the Conservation Law Foundation describes the recent drop in wholesale power prices as reason why the region does not need expansion of natural gas pipelines. The final sentence of his article thoughtfully begins, “In a market that can turn on a dime.” And that is really what is […]
