As we look to the new year, Acadia Center is implementing an ambitious agenda to redouble its efforts to accelerate the transition to an equitable clean energy future. We are building on momentum to implement climate solutions, creating new climate tools for consumers and communities, shaping ways to accelerate pathways to clean energy and phasing out fossil fuel and deepening our commitment to communities, environmental justice solutions and partnerships in buildings, housing, and energy generation. We are using our unique data and research capacities to ensure that funding from the Inflation Reduction Act is implemented in the most effective ways in our states and towns. Our approach draws from deep expertise in fields like energy regulation to crafting ways to communicate complex information to build support for the change needed.
To explain the incredible work Acadia Center will be engaging in for 2023, we have rounded up some of our extraordinary staff to explain what they are excited to tackle in the coming year and the emerging themes of our work. We invite you to watch this short video and reach out to us to find out more about the specific projects we will be working on this year.
In addition to the video, you can explore our recent impact. Read up on Acadia Center’s impact in the Eversource Rate Docket, how a new Massachusetts report brings us closer to a decarbonized future, and ways to solve the winter energy problem in the Northeast that can drive down costs for consumers. Lastly, we are thrilled to announce our newest addition to the Acadia Center team, Pete LaFond, Senior Attorney and Maine Program Director.
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See what we have in store for 2023.
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Acadia Center’s Impact in Eversource’s Rate Docket, DPU 22-22
By Kyle Murray
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Through our efforts, along with other intervenors, Acadia Center was able to convince the DPU to get rid of something called the negative X-factor – a provision that provided revenue without corresponding commitments. The end of the X-factor will allow for the delivery of better outcomes for customers. In addition, we successfully advocated for shortening the term of a different rate commitment to five years, down from ten, allowing regulators to revisit important compliance issues more frequently, which is especially important when considering the pace of change in the climate and clean energy sectors. Finally, Acadia Center was able to convince the DPU to lower the overall Return on Equity (ROE) for Eversource to 9.8%, rejecting Eversource’s request for a 10.5% cap. To find out more about the major progress we were able to achieve with this rate docket, you can read our blog about it here.
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Massachusetts Clean Heat Commission Report Delivers a Bold Vision for a Decarbonized Future
By Kyle Murray
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The much-anticipated Massachusetts Clean Heat Commission (CHC) report was released recently and was a breath of fresh air. CHC has delivered a strong proposal for real progress on decarbonization, which is both notable and welcome given the significant presence of members from the fossil fuel industry. Many CHC recommendations mirror ones Acadia Center has sought, and we are looking forward to engaging with the incoming administration on how to implement the recommendations of this report and the potential impact on the Commonwealth and the clean energy future we strive to achieve. You can read more about this exciting development here.
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Solving the Winter Energy Problem with Acadia Center
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Melissa Birchard, Acadia Center’s Director of Clean Energy & Grid Transition, explained in our most recent webinar how ISO-New England operates the region’s power grid and electricity markets. ISO-NE, with the backing of the federal government, has the power to institute measures like rolling blackouts to keep the electricity system safe during the winter. The region’s overreliance on natural gas is the root cause of these problems. You can watch the webinar any time to hear more about this topic, find out more for consumers looking to lower energy bills, and hear Amy Boyd and Melissa answer questions from the audience. You can also read a summary of the webinar here.
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Join Us on January 25, 2023
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Our next webinar, Key Opportunities in 2023: Acadia Center’s Vision, will take place on January 25th at 6pm. To sign up for the webinar, please go to acadiacenter.org/sign-up or join directly here.
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Meet Our Newest Addition: Pete LaFond
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Pete LaFond joins Acadia Center as Senior Attorney and Maine Program Director. Pete’s distinguished career includes practicing law as a partner at a leading firm in Portland, Maine and then serving as an Assistant Attorney General in the Natural Resources Division of the Maine Attorney General’s Office, where he was responsible for achieving the cleanup of one of Maine’s worst environmental disasters, the mercury pollution of the former Mallinckrodt industrial site in Orrington, Maine. A former President of the Maine Bar Association, Pete has been an active volunteer his entire life and is currently Chair of the Falmouth Town Council. He holds a J.D. from Duke and a B.A. from the University of Maine and resides in Falmouth, Maine.
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Acadia Center’s work is made possible by the
generosity of foundations and individual donors.
Acadia Center holds Charity Navigator’s top rating for financial
responsibility and is one of a small group of non-profits with a
100% rating and a Platinum Seal of Transparency on Guidestar.
 
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