December 8, 2021
On November 12, 2021, the U.S. Congress passed a key part of President Biden’s agenda (and solar policy): a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill. It contains plans to invest $550 billion in American infrastructure over the course of five years. On the same day, Biden announced that the first version of the Build Back Better… Read the entire post »
July 16, 2018
I admit I get a little up in arms when fossil-fuel industry lobbyists and utilities disguised as non-profit organizations spout unsubstantiated, anti-solar propaganda that confuses and misleads people. So when an Opinion piece called Hey solar industry, why the subsidy? appeared in New Hampshire Business Review, I felt compelled to respond. I appreciate that the magazine’s… Read the entire post »
June 27, 2018
The Massachusetts SMART (Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target) program is inching closer to reality, and we are quoting systems assuming the home or business owner will be in SMART as opposed to the previous program called SRECs. The “base compensation rates” have been set and the results are actually very encouraging. In some cases, particularly for… Read the entire post »
June 20, 2018
I rarely use The Energy Miser to encourage outreach by solar supporters to government leaders. There are plenty of solar advocacy blogs (Mass Solar, Vote Solar, SEBANE, etc.) doing that job very effectively. But Massachusetts is at a crossroads as I write. The solar progress of the previous administration is being trampled on by current… Read the entire post »
April 25, 2018
For ages, I and many other solar advocates have been saying solar benefits all, not just those who own it, by reducing utility costs which should translate into lower rates for utility customers. Now, hard proof is emerging that these benefits are materializing as solar becomes established as the new energy standard. How does solar… Read the entire post »
April 10, 2018
Update: In summer 2018, the Massachusetts Legislature approved an energy bill that made some changes to this situation. However, those changes are not crystal clear. It appears Eversource’s MMRC, as approved by the DPU, will not go into effect as planned. However, the utility can re-submit a new MMRC to the DPU. More information will… Read the entire post »
February 22, 2018
Did you know investor owned electric utilities (IOUs) including Eversource, National Grid, Unitil, and Liberty Utilities don’t make money on the generation of electricity? I know that sounds strange, but it’s generally true. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, utilities in New England produced or generated electricity, and delivered it to homes and businesses.… Read the entire post »
January 24, 2018
What the Solar Tariff Means to You Monday, President Trump imposed a 30% tariff on imported solar cells and panels. What does this mean to homeowners and businesses wanting to shift their electricity budgets away from the utilities and into their own clean, cost-effective solar? Thankfully, not a lot. Don’t get me wrong, this tariff… Read the entire post »
November 14, 2017
Why is solar like cars, the Internet and mobile phones? Is it crazy to think solar could meet 100% of the Earth’s energy needs in 12 years? Will the U.S. become a global leader in solar, or will we remain behind China, Japan and Germany? This short, fun video from act.tv — called Solar Power… Read the entire post »
October 18, 2017
Solar is booming in Rhode Island, and the increased demand is resulting in some changes to the state’s two generous solar programs. (Please read my article describing the two solar programs if you aren’t familiar with them.) The most important thing to know is that the state continues to fund solar programs in an effort… Read the entire post »
I started writing The Energy Miser in 2011 because I like to analyze energy issues and pontificate about my findings. Got a topic you want me to cover? Let me know.
