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Boston's Morning Newsletter
Massachusetts to offer discounted electric rates to heat pump owners this winter
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's daily morning newsletter, WBUR Today. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.
After yesterday's record-setting temperatures, we have another day of high heat. And those "wet bulb" temps will make you wish you could jump in the Gulf of Maine.
So, let's cool off with some news about the coming winter:
Heat pump owners, listen up! Massachusetts is planning to offer cheaper electric rates for you this winter. The state's Department of Public Utilities announced yesterday that customers of all three of the state's electric utilities will be eligible for discounted seasonal heat pump rates, starting this November. It's part of the state's effort to get more people switched to the electricity-powered boxes to heat and cool their homes. (It also comes after a particularly brutal winter for heating bills.) “The new rates effective this winter make our clean energy transition more affordable and accessible," DPU Commissioner Staci Rubin said in a statement yesterday.
- Who's eligible? The discounted rates are available to heat pump owners on Eversource, National Grid or Unitil. Just make sure to tell your electric provider you want the discounted rate before the winter heating season starts on Nov. 1.
- How much will I save? The state estimates customers will save an average of $540 this winter. But the discounts differ for each utility. (The numbers for Eversource customers are still being finalized, so stay tuned for a more in-depth breakdown.)
- The big picture: Massachusetts' climate plan includes a goal of reaching 500,000 heat pumps by 2030. As of last September, the state said over 90,000 heat pumps had been installed through Mass Save.
- FYI: While heat pumps are very efficient and can save you money in the long-run, they come with an upfront price tag in the thousands. There are state rebates and federal tax credits to help ease those costs. However, you only have until the end of the year to take advantage of the federal tax credits, which are ending as part of President Trump's tax and spending law.
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Meanwhile: Environmental advocates in Massachusetts are raising alarms about a new move from the Trump administration to unwind federal efforts to combat climate change. The EPA announced yesterday it will seek to repeal a landmark 2009 finding that greenhouse gas emissions pose a danger to public health.
- Why it matters: As WBUR's Vivian La reports, the so-called "endangerment finding" gives the federal government the authority to place limits on pollutants, like ash from coal plants and exhaust from cars and trucks. Trump's EPA administrator, Lee Zeldin, says the proposal will boost the American auto industry and make cars more affordable. However, Kate Sinding Daly, a law and policy expert at the Boston-based Conservation Law Foundation, called the move "a stake through the heart of decades of hard work" to address climate change.
- What's next: It's still a proposal, and environmental advocates vow to challenge it during the rule-making process and in court, if necessary.
- Go deeper: NPR has more here on what repealing the endangerment finding would specifically mean for federal car efficiency and pollution standards.
A step closer to social consumption? Massachusetts' Cannabis Control Commission voted yesterday to advance a draft of rules that would eventually allow people to consume marijuana at some businesses and events. As we've previously reported, the regulations envision three different types of social consumption spaces. They also outline things like ventilation requirements and purchase limits for customers.
- What's next: The regulations will soon be published to the Secretary of State's website for public comment. The CCC aims to finalize the rules by October.
- In related news: More than 3,000 pages of newly released documents shed more light on the CCC's behind-the-scenes dysfunction. As State House News Service reports, internal emails show rampant bickering among employees and give a more complete picture of why former CCC Chair Shannon O'Brien was fired.
P.S.— House Minority Whip Katherine Clark visited the WBUR studios to talk about the first six months of the second Trump administration. You can watch a clip of the interview here. Tune in to Morning Edition today to listen to the full conversation, or keep an eye on our website and Instagram for more highlights from the interview.
