Critics are charging that the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities is hindering the prospects for low-income communities to save money on energy via community solar projects and other energy efficiency measures that benefit the climate.
According to a report in the Boston Globe, critics say about 20,000 low-income households could be getting solar energy credits that would save them money, but bureaucratic inertia at the state agency is holding back progress. The agency cited the need for additional layers of approval that will take an indeterminate amount of time to work through.
The state’s Energy and Environment Agency, which oversees the DPU, says the department faces limits set by existing statutes, and needs to move ahead cautiously as it sets a template for renewable projects. The DPU logjams may need to be resolved either by the state legislature or by the state’s highest court, the Globe reported.
Related Stories
| Oct 31, 2012
Investigators look into crane severely damaged by Sandy in Manhattan
Investigators are examining a construction crane collapse atop a $1.5 billion luxury high-rise in midtown Manhattan due to high winds during Hurricane Sandy.
| Oct 31, 2012
Construction error suspected in Miami-Dade College garage collapse
A construction error is the chief suspect in the partial collapse of a parking garage at Miami-Dade College in Doral, FL.
| Oct 31, 2012
New European laws on timber will go into effect in March 2013
A new European Union timber regulation prohibits the “placing on the market of illegally harvested timber or timber products derived from such timber.”
| Oct 31, 2012
MIT models show roofs' capacity for solar energy in Cambridge, Mass.
A new mapping tool from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Boston design firm can calculate rooftops' capacity for solar energy.
| Oct 31, 2012
Demand for living roofs, walls to reach $7.7 billion by 2017
The demand for green roofs and living walls is expected to climb from $5.3 billion in 2011 to $7.7 billion in 2017, according to a report from Lux Research.
| Oct 25, 2012
Philadelphia councilmen move to crack down on contractors working without licenses, permits
Two Philadelphia city councilmen are trying to crack down on the "underground economy" of developers and contractors who work without licenses and permits, pay cash under the table, and operate unsafe job sites.
| Oct 25, 2012
OSHA and NIOSH offer Spanish version of nail gun safety document
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health have made available a Spanish version of “Nail Gun Safety - A Guide for Construction Contractors.”
| Oct 25, 2012
AGC holding webinar on sequestration’s potential impacts on the construction industry
AGC will hold a free webinar on sequestration and its potential impact on federal construction contractors on Nov. 7.
| Oct 25, 2012
Nashville providing incentives for green roofs
The city of Nashville, Tenn., is promoting the installation of green roofs through a measure providing a $10 reduction in a property's sewer fees for every square foot of vegetative roof.
