Stories

As New England Wind Power Grows, Local Activists Try To Halt Natural Gas Projects

April 21, 2021

The fight against fossil fuel expansion in New England has a new front in Killingly, Connecticut. Climate activists want the state to reject a proposed natural gas plant there, which is tied to the company behind a controversial pipeline development currently underway in Minnesota and a recently completed natural gas line in New England. Connecticut’s…

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Transmission Upgrades Could Hold The Key To New England Clean Energy Goals

April 20, 2021

President Joe Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure proposal seeks to help reach the administration’s ambitious clean energy goals for the U.S. over the next decade. Part of that means funding upgrades to the country’s electric transmission system — the poles and wires that everyone relies on to access power nearby or from hundreds of miles away.…

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Hartford Is Burning Its Recycling, And It’s Costing The City $30K A Month

April 20, 2021

That recycling you put out each week in the blue bin may not be going where you think it is. Because of contamination in curbside bins, the city of Hartford is now redirecting most of its recycling to a nearby incinerator, which means tons and tons of recyclable materials are going to waste while the…

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After Years Of Uncertainty, Expected Decision On Vineyard Wind Could Launch New Industry

April 19, 2021

New Bedford’s Marine Commerce Terminal is a huge spread of open concrete jutting into the harbor. On a recent day, a few refrigerated trucks were unloading seafood at a processing plant next door, but the terminal itself just looked like a giant empty parking lot. As the wind swept across the vast space, the biggest action…

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Biden, New England Energy Goals Could Soon Change Regional Energy Mix

April 19, 2021

President Joe Biden’s energy goals will make significant changes to where New England gets its power. How states choose to embrace these goals as part of their climate change plans could shake up the region’s energy market over the next decade. This week, all eyes are on Biden, who will convene world leaders for an…

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A Triple-Decker For The 21st Century: Airtight And Solar-Powered

March 12, 2021

Standing in front of her three-level house in Somerville, Lena Sheehan looks down at the construction of a new high school and transportation hub just a block away. “I can’t get over it, I haven’t been here in so long,” she says. “This is the new T — isn’t that brilliant, right beside the house.”…

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Mapping Project Explores Links Between Historic Redlining And Future Climate Vulnerability

March 5, 2021

The rain started just before Mother’s Day, in 2006. It fell for days over the Merrimack Valley, causing the worst flooding in decades. Water reached to rooftops. Pipes burst in Haverhill, pouring millions of gallons of sewage into the rising Merrimack River. Streets flooded, highways closed, thousands of people evacuated their homes. Andy Vargas was…

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Road Salt Is A Problem For Rivers. Adding Water May Be A Solution

March 2, 2021

A three-story-tall gate creaks open, and reveals a warehouse filled to the brim with brown crystals. It’s a mountain of rock salt. “We filled this shed this past week,” says T.J. Shea, Cambridge’s superintendent of streets. Shea is what some might call a “snow fighter.” It’s his job to keep roads dry all winter using this…

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In Memoriam: Troy’s Only Covered Bridge

February 11, 2021

Over the weekend, the only covered bridge in the Northeast Kingdom town of Troy burned down. Many in town are mourning the loss of the 111-year-old landmark. Just before noon on Saturday, Feb. 6, Heather Lighty was sitting on the couch with her husband. He showed her a video someone had posted online. It was…

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Offshore Wind Backers Hope Vineyard Wind Permitting Woes Will End Under Biden

January 19, 2021

For Massachusetts to meet its 2050 climate change emission goal, the state is going to have to green the grid, replacing fossil fuel power plants with clean renewable energy sources. To do this, the commonwealth is banking on offshore wind. “Offshore wind is the linchpin of Massachusetts clean energy strategy and critical to our success,”…

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