logo
Two New England energy companies in surprising alliance with fossil fuel lobby, undercutting climate targets

Two New England energy companies in surprising alliance with fossil fuel lobby, undercutting climate targets

Boston Globe16-03-2025

Advertisement
In Massachusetts, a state that's set aggressive climate targets, cooperation and buy-in from utilities is a pillar of how the state plans to get there. That makes it 'incredibly troubling' that both Eversource, one of the state's largest gas and electric utilities, and Avangrid, offshore wind developer and the parent company of Berkshire Gas, became members of the alliance last year, said Kyle Murray, Massachusetts program director for the advocacy group the Acadia Center.
In response to questions from the Globe, both New England utilities defended their decision to join the alliance. They also noted that the costs for their membership are being covered by shareholders — not ratepayers. Neither company would disclose how much they pay the alliance as members.
Eversource spokesperson William Hinkle said the company joined through its New Hampshire operating company and that it did so with an eye toward the alliance's 'diversified approach to renewable energy development' including offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine.
At Avangrid, company spokesperson Leo Rosales said the company joined because 'we support their efforts to advocate for greater transparency and consumer education on energy bills.' He added that 'a membership does not reflect the company's endorsement of an organization's entire platform.'
Both companies have been vocal supporters of the clean energy transition in New England and played key roles in guiding new climate-friendly policies. Eversource even
Advertisement
So,
the decision to join the Consumer Energy Alliance perhaps illustrates how complicated the business of energy is in the United States, with utilities operating across state lines and adhering to different laws and objectives.
'At a time when we know we need to be transitioning off of fossil fuels as soon as is practicable, these companies have instead opted to join with a group dedicated to frustrating that aim, and indeed directly at odds with some of the positive initiatives that these companies have been advancing in the Northeast' like geothermal networks, offshore wind transmission, and more, Murray said.
The Consumer Energy Alliance was launched in 2006 by HBW Resources, a lobbying group that represents the fossil fuel industry.
The alliance has done some advocacy for offshore wind, including
Bryson Hull, a spokesperson for the alliance and vice president of strategic/crisis communications at HBW Resources, said via email that the alliance is proud of the work it has done across the country to 'defend Americans' freedom to choose the energy they want and need,' including supporting wind.
Advertisement
But critics argue that limited efforts to bolster offshore wind are essentially a 'fig leaf for Consumer Energy Alliance's main operation.' The alliance's
said Itai Vardi, a research and communications manager at the investigative research organization Energy and Policy Institute.
As of 2020, the alliance had roughly 10 ongoing local and state campaigns to improve the optics around natural gas, according to a document obtained by the Energy and Policy Institute, repeatedly resulting in controversy.
In 2023, the group was investigated by the Ohio attorney general's office after
said a contractor was to blame and
A recent
But here in the Northeast, the group has been largely quiet after an earlier plan to raise the profile of gas appears to have failed.
Advertisement
That plan, presented by the alliance at a gas industry conference in 2019, included highlighting the 'extreme costs of winter home heating' and continuing its '
Despite
those efforts,
Massachusetts went on to pass climate bills to move past fossil fuels, and many New England states did as well.
Some local supporters of clean energy worry that with Trump back in the White House, the alliance may see an opening to again try to take aim at New England's climate policies. And having support from two local utilities adds wind to its sails.
Avangrid's involvement with the alliance also goes deeper than just membership — Avangrid chief executive Pedro Azagra also joined the board of the National Hispanic Energy Council, which was formed with support from the alliance. The National Hispanic Energy Council has vocally opposed California's
Elizabeth Turnbull Henry, president of the Environmental League of Massachusetts, said she hopes that, as members, Eversource and Avangrid will 'use their power to moderate and improve' the Consumer Energy Alliance platform.
If not, she said, 'joining creates a credibility problem.
'
Sabrina Shankman can be reached at

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Trump's mass deportations leave Democrats more ready to fight back
Trump's mass deportations leave Democrats more ready to fight back

Associated Press

time19 minutes ago

  • Associated Press

Trump's mass deportations leave Democrats more ready to fight back

WASHINGTON (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom looked straight into the camera and staked out a clear choice for his Democratic Party. The governor positioned himself as not only a leader of the opposition to President Donald Trump's mass deportation agenda, but a de facto champion of the immigrants now being rounded up in California and across the country. Many of them, he said in the video address, were not hardened criminals but hard working people scooped up at a Home Depot lot or a garment factory, and detained by masked agents assisted by National Guard troops. It's a politically charged position for the party to take, after watching voter discontent with illegal immigration fuel Trump's return to the White House. It leaves Democrats deciding how strongly to align with that message in the face of blistering criticism from Republicans who are pouring billions of dollars into supporting Trump's strict immigration campaign. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Wednesday he's proud of Newsom, 'he's refusing to be intimidated by Donald Trump.' From the streets of Los Angeles to the halls of Congress, the debate over Trump's mass deportation agenda is forcing the U.S. to reckon with core values as a nation of immigrants, but also its longstanding practice of allowing migrants to live and work in the U.S. in a gray zone while not granting them full legal status. More than 11 million immigrants are in the U.S. without proper approval, with millions more having arrived with temporary protections. As Trump's administration promises to round up some 3,000 immigrants a day and deport 1 million a year, the political stakes are shifting in real time. The president rode to the White House with his promise of mass deportations — rally crowds echoed his campaign promise to 'build the wall.' But Americans are watching as Trump deploys the National Guard and active U.S. Marines to Los Angeles, while pockets of demonstrations erupt in other cities nationwide, including after agents raided a meat packing plant in Omaha, Neb. Joel Payne, a Democratic strategist, said the country's mood appears to be somewhere between then-President Barack Obama's assertion that America a 'nation of laws and a nation of immigrants' and Trump's 'more aggressive' deportation approach. 'Democrats still have some work to do to be consistently trustworthy messengers on the issue,' he said. At the same time, he said, Trump's actions as a 'chaos agent' on immigration, at a time when there's already unrest in the U.S. over his trade wars and economic uncertainty, risk overreaching if the upheaval begins to sow havoc in the lives of Americans. Republicans have been relentless in their attacks on Democrats, portraying the situation in Los Angeles, which has been largely confined to a small area downtown, in highly charged terms as 'riots,' in a preview of campaign ads to come. Police said more than 200 people were detained for failing to disperse Tuesday, and 17 others for violating the 8 p.m. curfew over part of Los Angeles. Police arrested several more people for possessing a firearm, assaulting a police officer and other violations. Two people have been charged for allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails toward police during LA protests. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Newsom should be 'tarred and feathered' for his leadership in the state, which he called 'a safe haven to violent criminal illegal aliens.' At a private meeting of House Republicans this week with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Rep. Richard Hudson, the chairman of the GOP's campaign arm, framed the situation as Democrats supporting rioting and chaos while Republicans stand for law and order. 'Violent insurrectionists turned areas of Los Angeles into lawless hellscapes over the weekend,' wrote Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., earlier this week in the Wall Street Journal, suggesting it may be time to send in military troops. 'The American people elected Donald Trump and a Republican Congress to secure our border and deport violent illegal aliens. That's exactly what the president is doing.' But not all rank-and-file Republicans are onboard with such a heavy-handed approach. GOP Rep, David Valadao, who represents California's agriculture regions in the Central Valley, said on social media he remains 'concerned about ongoing ICE operations throughout CA' and was urging the administration 'to prioritize the removal of known criminals over the hardworking people who have lived peacefully in the Valley for years.' Heading into the 2026 midterm election season, with control of the House and Senate at stake, it's a repeat of past political battles as Congress has failed repeatedly to pass major immigration law changes. The politics have shifted dramatically from the Obama era, when his administration took executive action to protect young immigrants known as Dreamers under the landmark Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Those days, lawmakers were considering proposals to beef up border security as part of a broader package that would also create legal pathways, including for citizenship, for immigrants who have lived in the country for years and paid taxes, often filling roles in jobs Americans won't always take. With Trump's return to the Oval Office, the debate has turned toward aggressively removing immigrants, including millions who were allowed to legally enter the U.S. during the Biden administration as they await their immigration hearings and proceedings. 'This anniversary should be a reminder,' said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., at an event at the U.S. Capitol championing DACA's 13th year, even as protections are at risk under Trump's administration. 'Immigration has many faces.' Despite their challenges in last year's election, Democrats feel more emboldened to resist Trump's actions than even just a few months ago, but the political conversation has nonetheless shifted in Trump's direction. While Democrats are unified against Trump's big tax breaks bill, with its $150 billion for new detention facilities, deportation flights and 10,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, they talk more openly about beefing up border security and detaining the most dangerous criminal elements. Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, points to the example of Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi who won a special election in New York last year when he addressed potential changes to the immigration system head on. At one point he crashed a GOP opponent's press conference with his own. 'Trump said he was going to go after the worst of the worst, but he has ignored the laws, ignored due process, ignored the courts — and the American people reject that,' she told the Associated Press. 'People want a president and a government that is going to fight for the issues that matter most to them, fight to move our country forward,' she said. 'They want a Congress that is going be a coequal branch of government and a check on this president.' __ Associated Press writer Matt Brown contributed to this story.

Trump backers call for Walmart boycott amid furor over ‘No Kings Day' ad
Trump backers call for Walmart boycott amid furor over ‘No Kings Day' ad

Washington Post

time21 minutes ago

  • Washington Post

Trump backers call for Walmart boycott amid furor over ‘No Kings Day' ad

Some supporters of President Donald Trump are calling for a Walmart boycott after an heiress to the nation's largest retailer took out an ad in The New York Times to promote a protest of the president's policies. The full-page display, which appeared in the paper's June 8 edition and was paid for by Christy Walton, advertises 'No Kings Day' gatherings across the country on June 14. The mobilizing events coincide with Trump's military parade in Washington, D.C. While the ad doesn't mention Trump by name, many of his followers interpreted it as a criticism of his actions and policies. 'WE uphold and defend the constitution'; 'WE care for veterans and children'; 'WE are the world leader trusted to uphold the stability of rule of law.' It also came as protests in Los Angeles against the administration's immigration policies ramped up, with Trump deploying Marines and National Guard troops to California. By Tuesday, some influential Trump allies posted about the ad on social media. Kari Lake, the senior adviser to the U.S. Agency for Global Media, the government body overseeing the Voice of America news service, reposted the ad on X and wrote: 'Do you shop at Walmart?' Conservative commenters on X also started calling for boycotts of Walmart and cited its association with Walton, the widow of John T. Walton and daughter-in-law of the retailer's founder, Sam Walton. 'It may be time to #BoycottWalmart,' one user wrote. '#ChristyWalton, heiress of @Walmart has lost her mind in thinking she can fund revolutions against the American people/consumers.' Among the lawmakers joining the fray was Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Florida), who connected the ad directly to Walmart as she posted on X: 'Looks like the Walmart dynasty is big mad about China Tariffs.' In a statement to The Washington Post, a Walmart spokesman sought to distance the company from the ad. 'The advertisements from Christy Walton are in no way connected to or endorsed by Walmart,' he said. 'She does not serve on the board or play any role in decision-making at Walmart.' 'A left-wing billionaire feels like burning some of her inheritance for a PR stunt,' said White House Spokesman Kush Desai in a statement. 'It's not going to change the fact that over 77 million Americans voted for mass deportations, border security, and America First trade policies — a mandate that the Trump administration is committed to using every lever of executive power to deliver on.' While it's unclear whether a grassroots boycott from Trump supporters is underway, Walmart has already been in Trump's crosshairs in recent weeks. After the Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer announced in its first quarter earnings call that prices could go up within weeks because of tariffs, Trump admonished the company, posting on Truth Social that Walmart should 'EAT THE TARIFFS' and 'not charge valued customers ANYTHING.' Big box retailers have frequently been dragged into the culture wars. Earlier this year, grassroots efforts materialized across the country to boycott retailers that retreated from their diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Target was one of the biggest chains singled out and last month reported lower-than-expected earnings in its first quarter, thanks, in part, to customers' pullback.

AP PHOTOS: Mexican flags at LA protests spark debate over symbolism
AP PHOTOS: Mexican flags at LA protests spark debate over symbolism

Associated Press

time28 minutes ago

  • Associated Press

AP PHOTOS: Mexican flags at LA protests spark debate over symbolism

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors. ——— Over the last week, a sea of green, white and red Mexican flags have become a fixture of the Los Angeles protests against immigration raids. The use of Mexican and other Latin American flags during the protests are a form of symbolism many conservatives are calling anti-American — while others argue they're an expression of pride in one's homeland that could not be more American. Whether it be U.S., Mexican or Palestinian flags, the banners reflect a nation of immigrants whose stories have become intertwined with the story of America, experts say. Kris Hernández, an associate professor of history at Connecticut College, said the flying of foreign flags in the U.S. has always brought awareness to the plight of marginalized groups. Their appearance in the latest protests might symbolize solidarity with their native land or social movements that support Americans of Mexican descent, she said. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that those flying Mexican flags at immigration protests were left-wing radicals that attacked law enforcement agents 'removing violent, criminal illegal aliens from the city.' And even fierce Trump critic Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a Democrat, expressed his displeasure with the display of non-American flags at immigration protests that have spread to other states. 'Peaceful protests are fine. Violence is not and will only destroy your message,' Kinzinger wrote on X. 'American flags or nothing.' Amid the backlash, many Americans who support the right to protest are encouraging demonstrators to protest against immigration policies with the American flag instead of a foreign one, as way of reclaiming the U.S. flag for all who call the U.S. home. This underscores just how influential the American flag can be, Hernández said. 'What we are seeing ... is that people don't like to see some flags over others,' she said. Some Latino activists say the Mexican flag is being used by people who were in this land before it was part of the United States. California was part of Mexico until the 1800's. Many Mexican Americans are descendants of people who never crossed a border — instead the border crossed them. Still, their display of the Mexican flag at protests is being twisted into something it's not, said Juan Proaño, CEO of the League of United Latin American Citizens. Hector E. Sanchez, president and CEO of 'Mi Familia Vota,' a non-profit focused on mobilizing Latino voters, said Mexicans have been at the forefront of attacks when it comes to immigration — attacks heightened during both of Trump's campaigns. Sanchez said he wonders why it's not called anti-American when some Americans fly Confederate flags next to the U.S. flag. 'We see a lot of flags celebrating cultural history and heritage,' he said. 'Why is it that the Mexican community is constantly under attack?'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store