This section of provides data and information characterizing the current energy situation on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket.

The fossil-fired "Energy Present" poses threats to the economy, the environment, and the well-being of local communities.

The Cape & Islands region, like much of the rest of the world, relies on fossil fuels to meet most of its energy needs. The prices paid for energy commodities are generally higher here than elsewhere in Massachusetts and throughout New England. These prices do not even come close to reflecting the “true costs” borne by local communities as a result of fossil fuel consumption. True costs include:

• Air pollution, water pollution, and ecological impacts attributable to fossil fuel emissions.
• Public health risks associated with living on an eastern extension of “the tailpipe of the nation.”
• Contributions to U.S. dependence on energy supplied by other countries.
• Greenhouse gas emissions resulting in global climate change, which may have dramatic effects on local communities.

Clink on the links below for more detail on the current energy situation in the Cape & Islands region:

• Electricity: This section provides data and information on electricity supply and delivery infrastructure, service options, consumption, costs, emissions, and efficiency.
• Fuels: This section provides data and information on fuel supply and delivery infrastructure and on the use of fuels for electricity generation, transportation, and heating.
• Policy: This section reviews the energy, electricity, economic, environmental, and climate policy frameworks—on scales from the local to the global—that influence energy supply and use.
• "True Cost" Impacts: This section provides data and information on the adverse environmental, social, and economic impacts associated with present-day reliance on fossil fuels.