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Hyannis – As Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath prompt a call for action to tackle global warming and the rise in extreme weather, Environment Massachusetts released a new report today showing that the commonwealth’s projected power generation from wind energy displaces as much global warming pollution as taking 14,000 cars off the road per year. The Environment Massachusetts report also shows that current wind power already saves 6 million gallons of water per year in the commonwealth.  

Governor Patrick signed a bill today that will dramatically expand access to solar energy for families, businesses and local governments. The bill, An Act relative to competitively priced electricity in the Commonwealth, makes refinements to the state’s Green Communities Act and includes provisions to enhance the development of solar, wind and energy efficiency programs. Among the major improvements was an expansion of the net-metering program, which allows local governments, businesses and homeowners to sell the electricity they generate from solar panels and other small onsite renewable energy sources back to utilities to offset their electric bills, and even generate some revenue. 

Cities and towns across the Commonwealth are leading the way when it comes to solar power according to a new report released today by Environment Massachusetts Research & Policy Center.

In a part of Massachusetts strong in solar power, the city of Holyoke is helping to lead the way, according to a new report released today by Environment Massachusetts Research & Policy Center. Holyoke has 4,527.00 kilowatts of installed photovoltaic capacity, ranking it second in the Commonwealth – behind only Boston, despite having less than 10% of the populations of the Bay State’s capital.