GOVERNOR PATRICK ANNOUNCES OVER $1.4 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDING, NEW INITIATIVES TO STRENGTHEN THE COMMONWEALTH’S ADVANCED MANUFACTURING SECTOR

May 1, 2014

WORCESTER – Tuesday, April 29, 2014 – Governor Deval Patrick today announced over $1.4 million in federal funding to help manufacturers and other companies impacted by sequestration and defense budget cuts to diversify their markets. The grant will help the defense industry, which employs over 130,000 Massachusetts residents, identify and pursue other markets to sell […]

Environmental Organization Criticizes NE Governors, Makes Public Records Requests

March 25, 2014

The Conservation Law Foundation, a Boston-based environmental group, contends that New England governors have carried out energy policy privately. The organization has put forth public records requests in the hopes that such documents will help do away with the so-called tight-lipped dealings and provide more transparency (which, in the CLF’s mind, would result in more […]

Is a Potential El Niño Good News for the U.S.?

March 14, 2014

The Climate Prediction Center/NCEP/NWS and the International Research Institute for Climate and Society reported on March 6, 2014 that El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which refers to temperatures variations in the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean area is expected to continue in its neutral phase through the Northern Hemisphere during the spring of 2014, and that there […]

NE Electricity Prices Set to Increase in Response to Capacity Auction

February 6, 2014

The Independent System Operator for New England (ISO-NE) released results on Wednesday, February 5 for the eighth Forward Capacity Auction for June 1, 2017 to May 31, 2018 it held on February 3. The auction produced 33,702 MW in capacity, 153 MW fewer than ISO-NE expects will be needed for the year mentioned above (33,855 […]

Janus Contributes to Natural Gas Price Spike

January 22, 2014
Natural gas prices soared Wednesday to their highest since June of 2011 in the aftermath of the winter storm Janus, which hit a large portion of the United States, hitting the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic very hard and even extended down the east coast as far as Georgia. The snow, coupled with extremely cold temperatures, raised [...]

New Power Capacity Zone in New York to Increase Prices

December 5, 2013

The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) decided on August 13, 2013 to allow the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) to create a new capacity zone in the Lower Hudson Valley that includes New York City. The new zone will include current NYISO zones G, H, I, the three of which cover the Lower […]

Power Prices Rise on Heels of an Algonquin Basis Increase

November 18, 2013

Forward power prices in New England spiked on Thursday and Friday due to a surge in Algonquin (AGT) gas basis. Basis for December almost doubled from Wednesday to Friday, increasing by $4.50/MMBtu, and the Algonquin winter strip (November-March) increased by $2.71/MMBtu as well. Traders, worried about pipeline constraints, did not want to get caught short, […]

Power Deregulation in VT?

November 13, 2013

Vermont is considering deregulating electricity. The chairman of the House’s top energy committee, Rep. Tony Klein (an East Montpelier Democrat), thinks it may be time to deregulate the utility market to allow the state’s largest consumers to negotiate electricity pricing with suppliers. He presented a proposal for a program on Tuesday at the Capitol Plaza […]

EarlyBird Power Talks to NPR about NE’s Dependence on Gas and Rising Winter Electric Rates

November 11, 2013

Shaun Pandit, CEO/Director of EarlyBird Power, spoke with Fred Bever of 90.9 WBUR about the causes behind the rising Boston- and New England-area electricity prices this winter. An article published November 8 highlighted the reasons for increasing winter electric rates with excerpts from National Grid and ISO New England personnel in addition to Pandit. Electricity […]

NGRID Announces Winter Rates

October 1, 2013

National Grid has just announced proposed rates for the winter. For medium (G2) and large general (G3) service accounts, fixed prices are as follows: SEMA (11/1/13 – 1/31/14): $0.09895 per kWh WCMA (11/1/13 – 1/31/14): $0.09804 per kWh NEMA (11/1/13 – 1/31/14): $0.09960 per kWh Here are the variable rates for these classes (November, December, […]