Massachusetts

Solar

Martha’s Vineyard solar array will cut bills for low-income islanders

A new rooftop solar project offers the first test of a community-benefit model that nonprofit PowerOptions Connect hopes to roll out across the Northeast.

By Sarah Shemkus .

1 July 2026

Houses around a parking lot with solar panels on the roofs — Solar panels installed on workforce housing for Martha's Vineyard Hospital will cut residents' energy bills, and reduce costs for low-income community members elsewhere on the island. (Columbia Construction Corp.)

Energy efficiency

Massachusetts Senate preserves energy-efficiency funding in new bill

Earlier this year, the House proposed $1B in cuts to the state’s nation-leading efficiency program. The Senate rejected that idea in a sweeping new energy bill.

By Sarah Shemkus . 25 June 2026
Batteries

Tesla offers discounted home batteries in New England VPP push

Households in Massachusetts and Connecticut can get cheap Powerwall leases — so long as they let Tesla monetize the batteries in virtual power plant programs.

By Jeff St. John . 18 June 2026
Transmission

Is New England’s new hydropower transmission line paying off?

The flow has been stop and go for the first few months, but the line shows plenty of potential to boost Massachusetts’ renewable energy supply.

By Sarah Shemkus . 16 June 2026
Geothermal

Want a job drilling for geothermal? A Northeast training hub is coming.

A worker shortage threatens to hold up America’s buildout of geothermal networks. These groups have a plan to address the problem, starting in Massachusetts.

By Sarah Shemkus . 11 June 2026
EV charging

Why is Massachusetts sitting on $64M in EV-charger funding?

Despite the state’s political embrace of EVs, it has built zero chargers nearly four years after receiving federal funds from the Biden administration.

By Jordan Wolman, CommonWealth Beacon . 8 June 2026
EV charging

In Massachusetts, parked EVs will start feeding the grid this summer

Three electric school buses will kick-start the state’s groundbreaking vehicle-to-grid pilot program once school's out, with more EVs to be added in the coming months.

By Sarah Shemkus . 3 June 2026
Geothermal

As geothermal networks grow, so does the call for a new utility model

A bill in Massachusetts would create a framework for a geothermal utility, with the aim of heating and cooling buildings cleanly and affordably.

By Sarah Shemkus . 28 May 2026
Heat pumps

New winter rates saved at least $37M for Massachusetts heat-pump owners

Rhode Island and New York are in the early stages of considering similar discounts for households that install the electric, clean-heating technology.

By Sarah Shemkus . 30 April 2026
Batteries

Big grid batteries are finally on a roll in New England

The region's largest battery yet recently came online in Massachusetts, where state climate policies aimed at cleaning up the grid are boosting the tech.

By Julian Spector . 16 April 2026
Solar

This program pays nonprofits to take the time to consider solar

A Massachusetts initiative is making it easier for resource-strapped nonprofits to access federal tax credits for solar before they disappear.

By Sarah Shemkus . 8 April 2026