This just in, from Recharge, a national publication dedicated to covering electric power and the electric grid:

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“A major US engineering body this week gave the nation’s grid infrastructure a damning D+ score in its quadrennial school report-style assessment, which noted that “a large portion of the system exhibits significant deterioration” with “strong risk of failure”.

There are bright spots of course – not least in New England, where a study by the grid operator found that the region could absorb power from over 9GW of offshore wind capacity by 2050 with far less investment than previously anticipated.”

Can we have a little optimism, please? Clean energy and the Massachusetts climate movement have legs younger than Donald Trump’s. We’ll be alive and kicking when he is long gone.

Boston is bustling with romance book clubs — where happy endings aren’t just possible, but required

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The Boston Globe

And now for something different: Kudos to my amazing daughters, whose entrepreneurial embrace of happy endings makes me smile on my most challenging days.

A picture of an article appearing in the print edition of the Boston Globe.

Chelmsford turns out big for the climate

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What a turnout! The Chelmsford Climate Action Team packed the room to talk state and local climate policy. The big question: How can towns make a difference? We covered everything from putting solar panels on condo roofs to making it easier to install heat pumps.

Senator Barrett speaks to the Chelmsford Climate Action Team
Senator Barrett speaks to the Chelmsford Climate Action Team

Proposed private-jet Hanscom expansion is a climate bomb in sheep’s clothing

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The Lincoln Squirrel

State Sen. Mike Barrett posited to Davey that “there is a sense in which you’re rolling out SAFs, I think, as a shield and in order to disarm us,” a point that Davey heatedly denied, referencing an SAF startup in Charlestown in his defense. To this, Barrett replied: “We have lots of startups in Massachusetts that hope someday to cure cancer, and we certainly want to encourage them to try. But none of us go out and encourage our kids to smoke cigarettes because the cure is going to come in their lifetimes.”

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Advocates fight against Alzheimer’s

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More than 135,000 people in Massachusetts are living with Alzheimer’s — and that number is expected to keep growing. Members of the Alzheimer’s Association dropped by for a State House lobby day. Their advocacy led to a recent landmark law in 2018 to fight the disease. One new priority: a bill to require insurers to cover testing that can help diagnose Alzheimer’s early.

Senator Barrett stands in his State House office with members of the Alzheimer's Association

Talking climate with student advocates

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The Youth Climate Coalition showed up in big numbers for their State House lobby day. I met with a group of constituents who shared their priorities, including a bill to set a statewide “Farm to School” program. The idea is to direct grant funding to schools. The funds would be used to buy produce from local farms and promote food literacy programs. Impressed by the smart and spirited talk.

Senator Barrett stands in his State House office with a group of young constituents.

A moving performance on MLK Day

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Sean Osborne, official historian of ABCL, the Association of Black Citizens of Lexington, provides the narrative to accompany a performance on Martin Luther King Day in Lexington by members of the Boston Community Gospel Choir. He was eloquent and they were gorgeous.

Sean Osborne of the ABCL speaks at a podium.