Infrastructure
When It Rains, It Poops: The MDC’s Efforts To Keep Sewage Out Of Conn. Waterways
The Connecticut River after Tropical Storm Elsa looked like a chocolate milkshake. And the reason is pretty gross: rainwater runoff and raw sewage. This dirty water makes its way into rivers because of century-old infrastructure called “combined sewer systems,” which merge stormwater and household water into one big pipe. And when it rains a lot,…
Read MoreFeds Consider Compensating Fishermen For Wind Energy Effects On Harvests
The Mills administration is partnering with a commercial wind energy company, New England Aqua Ventus, to seek a lease of 16-square miles of federal waters south of for a wind farm of up to 12 wind turbines tens of miles south of Bremen, Maine, with a goal of researching novel “floating platform” technology and its…
Read MoreA Former Mill Town Takes Control Of The Future Of Its Power Supply
In May, the small town of Harrisville, N.H. started to write the next chapter for its energy future. Harrisville voters approved the second community power plan in the state (the neighboring city of Keene was first). With a community power plan, the town will purchase power on behalf of residents and businesses. Advocates say this…
Read MoreFishing Industry Feels Stranded As Offshore Wind Gathers Momentum
On a clear morning in early June, cotton sacks filled with shucked scallops hit the scale at Gambardella’s dockside warehouse in Stonington, Connecticut. They’re being offloaded from the Furious, a scallop boat just back from a 12-day trip. Owner and longtime fisherman Joe Gilbert runs four scallop boats out of this dock. Up in the…
Read MoreRise In Cremations Opens Unused Cemetery Space To New Solar Projects
Fewer families are choosing burials for deceased loved ones and opting instead for cremation. It’s a funerary trend that is helping to forge a link between the Catholic Church and the solar industry. If you picture a solar field, what do you see? Probably a large open space. Flat and dry without too many trees…
Read MoreThe Seaport Cost Billions To Build. What Will It Take To Save It?
When former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh took the stage at a 2017 ribbon-cutting in the Seaport District, he spoke with pride of a neighborhood “hitting its stride.” He spoke of new retail, housing, entertainment venues, and green space. He spoke of job creation and “smart growth.” He spoke of an area that represents “our future…
Read MoreThe Blue Line Was Named For Boston Harbor. Now The Sea Threatens The Service
Tidal flats and marshland once surrounded much of Boston, swelling and soaking as the rain fell and tides ebbed and flowed. But over the course of the city’s nearly 400 years, those sensitive areas were slowly filled in to make more buildable land, leaving just 200 acres of wild marsh along the border between Boston…
Read MoreNew Hope For New Hampshire’s Great Bay As Towns, Scientists Begin Collaborating On Restoration
After decades of declining water quality, there’s new optimism surrounding the health of Great Bay. A new partnership between towns, scientists and advocacy groups has people thinking for the first time that they might find long-term solutions to restore the estuary. It will be a boon to ongoing research projects, like one at UNH that’s…
Read MoreListen Up, New England: Goodwill Doesn’t Want Your Trash
Just before 10 o’clock most mornings, cars begin lining up outside the Goodwill donation center in Seabrook. They’re offering trunks full of treasures, yes, but also perhaps some unsellable, un-recyclable wares that also make it into the bins — and strain Goodwill’s trash bill. “We hope everyone brings great things that helps our programs, but…
Read MoreMore Clean Energy Will Demand Bigger Battery Storage To Power New England Grid
The push to switch from fossil fuels to renewable forms of energy will mean a lot more demand for battery storage. It’s just part of massive efforts to modernize the electric grid in New England and the nation to meet the challenge of climate change. The future of renewable energy in New England depends on…
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