Energy

Gov. Charlie Baker announced sweeping legislation Wednesday to reshape the way Massachusetts procures offshore wind power, proposing to use $750 million in federal stimulus funds to establish a clean energy investment fund and jettisoning the requirement that each project carries a lower price than the one that came before it.

Clean energy company Ameresco, headquartered in Framingham, announced on Tuesday it has entered into a $43-million energy performance contract with the U.S. Coast Guard for a battery energy storage system project at Training Center Petaluma in California. 

UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester announced on Tuesday it is incorporating a geothermal heating and cooling system in the New Education and Research Building under construction, which will substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Construction of a water treatment plant in Warren commenced on Saturday with the help of $5 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development program, according to a Monday press release from the USDA.

Renewable energy company Amersco, based in Framingham, has entered an agreement to participate in the renovation of a Wells County jail facility in Indiana. 

A pipeline and natural gas liquidation plant proposed in Charlton was recommended for approval on Sept. 20 and will go up for a final vote before the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board next week, according to a notice on Mass.gov.

President Joe Biden announced plans late Wednesday to nominate Rep. Maria Robinson of Framingham to join his administration in the U.S. Department of Energy.

With regulations ready to take effect that effectively close about 90 percent of the state's land area to new wood-burning power generation facilities, Springfield-area lawmakers on Monday pushed for legislation that would more permanently eliminate state clean energy program subsidies for biomass anywhere in the Bay State.

Sterling electric company DMH Electric, Inc. Has been acquired by Qmerit, a California company which helps households and small businesses transfer to using electric energy sources, according to a press release.

Three Central Massachusetts businesses received grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s rural development program, in order to install solar systems, according to a Thursday announcement.