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Current Facts

This page highlights interesting attributes about the current energy situation on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket. Visit The Energy Present for more detail.

Dirty Roof Conventional asphalt shingles are the cheapest roofing material around but, as is usually the case, there is a cost: They are manufactured using petroleum by-products and, once they reach the end of their useful life, they must be landfilled as construction debris or “downcycled” as road materials or in other low-value uses. Credit: Houston Advanced Research Center
Underutilized Asset The Cape’s remaining rail line is used to entertain tourists and haul trash, rather than to deliver goods and transport people. It is, however, a key element in the Cape & Islands region’s most significant renewable energy project: Municipal solid waste is conveyed from local communities to the SEMASS Resource Recovery Facility, where this bioenergy source is “downcycled” into electricity.
Sources of Exhaustion Exhaust from tailpipes, smokestacks, and other fossil-fueled sources contains nitrogen oxides, among other things. Atmospheric deposition of nitrogen represents the second largest contributor to nutrient enrichment problems in local waters – one more rationale for increased efficiency and expanded reliance on renewables.
Mindless Emissions Brush fires pollute the air, and they transform carbon stored as biomass into carbon dioxide, contributing to the rising atmospheric accumulations of this greenhouse gas. Allowing organic materials to decompose naturally may be slower and less enjoyable, but it's a simple way to reduce your emissions footprint.
Pending Disaster Coastal tear-downs and re-builds are great for those privileged to live in them, but they will represent societal liabilities unless global emissions of greenhousegases are dramatically reduced.
Rising Prices Skyrocketing power supply prices for local residents are an indicator of New England's over-reliance on natural gas: An 81% increase for Cape Light Compact consumers and an increase of more than 50% for NStar and National Grid consumers. Residents that rely on natural gas for home heating and other uses are getting a double-strength lesson in the importance of a diverse fuel supply portfolio.
Spoiled Wake A wake is not the only thing left behind by pleasure boats - some engines spew a significant percentage of their fuel directly into local waters, while all engines release air pollutants. (Local dealers participating in the Massachusetts Clean Marine Engine Initiative are helping to address these problems.)
Postcard from the Cape The Canal Generating Station in Sandwich presents visitors with a singular backdrop—and a clear picture of the present energy situation in the Cape & Islands region.
Burning Brush Burning brush may be a time-honored tradition in local communities, but it releases pollutants and greenhouse gases without generating useful energy.
The Hummer The Hummer is a telling indicator of the energy present in the United States—highly inefficient yet encouraged by existing energy and tax policy.	Credit: Automotive Buzz
The Canal Power Plant The Canal Electric Station in Sandwich produces almost all of the electricity consumed on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket. On cold days, the plant generates a prominent plume —but it is the emissions you can’t see that degrade local air and water quality and contribute to public health and climate change risks.	Credit: Richard Judge
The Argo Merchant In 1976, the Argo Merchant ran aground off Nantucket, introducing more than 7 million gallons of fuel oil into local waters. Shorelines and beaches were saved by prevailing currents that swept the oil out to sea. In April 2003, a barge headed toward the Canal Electric Station leaked tens of thousands of gallons of fuel oil into Buzzards Bay. This much smaller spill soiled shorelines, killed wildlife, closed beaches and shellfishing beds, and harmed the local economy—just imagine if the next big spill is in the wrong place.	Credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The Solar Engine The Sun is the ultimate source of the Earth’s energy, including its fossil fuel reserves, which are believed to have originated from ancient plant matter. Greenhouse gases produced by fossil fuel combustion and other sources are trapping more of the Sun’s heat in the upper atmosphere, changing the global energy balance. Indicators of local climate change may already be here—witness the eroding shorelines, invading species, arriving diseases, and fleeing insurers.	Credit: National Optical Astronomy Observatory