A federal energy regulatory agency has determined the ratemaking process for New England's electricity transmission prices lacks adequate transparency and is unjust and is working on changes that could ultimately lower energy rates for Massachusetts consumers and businesses.
The state would be required to develop a climate change mitigation plan and meet new long-term carbon emission reduction benchmarks under legislation passed unanimously by the Senate on Thursday.
The New England region is increasingly dependent on natural gas even as the area moves towards more renewable power generators, according to ISO New England.
While a compromise bill aimed at fostering growth in the state's solar power industry enters its tenth week behind the closed doors of a conference committee, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers says the industry is "at risk of dying."
Gov. Charlie Baker has held the fiscal line for Massachusetts taxpayers and those subject to myriad governmental fees, promising no hikes in the fiscal 2017 budget.
Gov. Charlie Baker, in an unapologetic defense of his administration's focus on the nitty-gritty of governing, called Thursday night for a significant new investment in vocational schools while also pledging fiscal restraint.
The legal mandate of reducing Massachusetts greenhouse gas emissions to hit a 2020 benchmark is "achievable" if environmental policies are carried out but imperiled if the state neglects a major importation of renewable energy, according to a Baker administration report released Tuesday.