Category: 3. Business

With offshore wind power projects again on hold at the federal level, officials confirmed last week that contracts for the installations that Massachusetts hoped to bring online in the coming years will not be finalized until this summer, at the earliest.

Massachusetts selected 2,678 megawatts of offshore wind power spread across three projects in September 2024, kicking off contract talks that were expected to result in higher prices for power than past projects. The contract completion milestone has been delayed at least five times, and during the delay, one of the selected projects has removed itself from consideration and another raised the potential for a multi-year delay.

The utilities negotiating contracts with the remaining projects informed the Department of Public Utilities in a Dec. 30 letter that they would not meet the Dec. 31 target for finishing contract talks, nor the Feb. 25 target date for contract filings.

The evaluation team involved in the process, which includes the Department of Energy Resources, National Grid, Eversource and Unitil, said delays are “[d]ue to ongoing uncertainty caused by federal level activities.”

The group said it now expects completed negotiations and executed contracts by June 30. Those contracts would now be filed with the DPU (the step at which ratepayers can learn the cost of the projects) by Aug. 31, putting the procurement process about two years behind its original schedule.

In a statement, the Healey administration blamed “uncertainty created by the changing federal landscape” for the repeated contract delays and said Massachusetts “remains committed to an all-of-the-above approach to energy, which includes offshore wind.”

“This abundant energy source produced right off our coast will lower costs, especially in cold weather, create thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic benefits for Massachusetts, and help move us toward energy independence,” said Lauren Diggin, spokesperson for the Department of Energy Resources.

Massachusetts state government has committed to reducing carbon emissions by at least 50 percent compared to 1990 baselines by 2030, by at least 75 percent by 2040 and by at least 85 percent by 2050, with tag-along policies to get the state to net-zero emissions by the middle of the century. The state also has numerous other mandates on the books, including around things like electric vehicles.

As a candidate for governor four years ago, Gov. Maura Healey made significant climate promises, including achieving a 100 percent clean electricity supply statewide by 2030 and electrifying public transportation with clean power by 2040 (starting with school and MBTA buses by 2030).

As 2026 gets underway and Healey eyes her reelection effort, the House and Senate this session have become torn between reevaluating the costs of decarbonization plans and finding ways to reduce consumer utility bills.

The U.S. Department of the Interior’s order freezing offshore wind work affects the Vineyard Wind 1 project for Massachusetts, the only project currently under contract to provide power into the state. It also impacts Revolution Wind for Rhode Island and Connecticut, Sunrise Wind and Empire Wind for New York, and Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind off Virginia.

The developers of Revolution Wind, Empire Wind and Coastal Virginia Offshore have filed legal challenges to the Trump administration’s freeze, and the New York Times reported that officials behind Sunrise Wind have said they are contemplating the same.

A spokesman for Avangrid, one of the developers of Vineyard Wind 1, declined Monday to comment on the company’s plans.

Six people have died as snow, ice and freezing temperatures continue to wreak havoc across parts of Europe.

Authorities in the Landes region of south-west France said three people died and 15 were injured in road accidents on Tuesday, while two more were killed in accidents in the Paris area. One driver died in hospital on Monday night after veering into the Marne River and another was killed after a collision with a heavy goods vehicle in the east of the French capital.

In the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo, a woman died on Monday after a snow-covered tree branch fell on her head.

Many flights will be cancelled from Paris’s two main airports, Roissy-Charles de Gaulle and Orly, early on Wednesday to allow ground crews to clear snow from runways and de-ice planes. About 40% of flights at Charles de Gaulle were expected to be scrapped and 25% at Orly.

Paris awoke on Tuesday to a blanket of snow on rooftops and monuments.

In the Netherlands, hundreds of flights were cancelled at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport as staff worked to clear runways and de-ice planes. Rail travellers in the country faced chaos after domestic services were suspended early on Tuesday due to an IT outage, compounding the disruption caused by the weather.

Eurostar services to Paris from Amsterdam were either cancelled or running late.

Freezing temperatures have gripped much of Europe, with the thermometer plunging well below -10C (14F) in south and east Germany early on Tuesday. German meteorologists have forecast a storm in the country on Friday, with heavy snowfall expected in the north and east.

In Britain, temperatures fell to -12.5C overnight, with snow disrupting rail, road and air travel and forcing the closure of hundreds of schools across northern regions.

Temperatures in lowland areas of northern Italy have fallen below freezing, with snow expected in the medium- to low-altitude areas of Emilia-Romagna, Marche and Tuscany on Tuesday.

Central and southern regions in Italy are experiencing mild winds that are bringing heavy rain. Incessant rain in Rome has swollen the banks of the Tiber River, putting a dampener on Pope Leo’s Epiphany blessing in St Peter’s Square, which was only partly full as a few thousand people crowded under umbrellas.

Roberto Gualtieri, the mayor of Rome, issued an ordinance for Tuesday limiting public access to parks and other areas at risk of falling trees and flooding. Two huge pine trees have fallen in recent days due to the severe weather in the Italian capital – one on Via dei Fori Imperiali, close to the Colosseum, the other on Via Appia Nuova.

Heavy snow and heavy rain have swept through Balkan countries, swelling rivers and causing traffic problems and disrupting power and water supplies.

In Serbia, some local authorities in the country’s west introduced emergency measures due to the severe weather while warning drivers to take care as many set off toward skiing resorts or elsewhere for Orthodox Christmas on Wednesday and the upcoming weekend.

Heavy wind and stormy seas have battered the Adriatic coastline in Croatia and Montenegro.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | January 6, 2026

Media Contact
Cynthia Martinez, Chief Strategy Officer
Travis Central Appraisal District
[email protected] 

AUSTIN, Texas – The Travis Central Appraisal District (TCAD) is reminding property owners who own and live on a property to save money on their property tax bill by filing for their homestead exemptions.

“In 2025, having a homestead exemption saved the average Travis County property owner $3,663 on their property tax bill,” said Chief Appraiser Leana Mann. “If you’re not claiming your exemptions, you’re paying too much in property taxes.”

A homestead exemption can provide significant property tax savings for homeowners by reducing the taxable value of their primary residence. Homeowners who purchased a home in 2025 or who have not previously applied for a homestead exemption are encouraged to apply as soon as they qualify. The application form must be accompanied by a copy of a Texas driver’s license or identification card reflecting the property’s address. Filing for an exemption is free.

Several types of homestead exemptions are available, including a general residence homestead exemption and exemptions for people over the age of 65, people and veterans with disabilities, and the surviving spouses of service members or first responders killed in the line of duty. To be eligible for a homestead exemption, a property owner must own and occupy a property.

Additionally, property owners who began claiming a homestead exemption on their property from 2010 to 2019 will be included in the District’s exemption verification program for 2026. The verification process ensures exemptions are applied only to eligible properties, as required by state law. If a homeowner needs to provide any information to the District as part of the verification process, they will be notified directly. No action is required unless a taxpayer receives a notice from TCAD.

Added Mann, “Property owners who need help with their forms should never pay someone to assist them. Our staff is always available to help.”

TCAD’s homestead exemption hotline is available to provide property owners with assistance in completing their applications and verifications. By calling 512-873-1560, Travis County residents can speak with a customer service representative who can answer their questions and help with submitting completed forms. The helpline is staffed Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Travis County property owners can view the current exemptions on their property, review a list of available homestead exemptions, and download or complete exemption application forms online at traviscad.org/homesteadexemptions. More information on the exemption verification process is available at traviscad.org/verify.

About the Travis Central Appraisal District

The mission of Travis Central Appraisal District, in accordance with the Texas Constitution and the laws of the state, is to provide accurate appraisal of all property in Travis County at one hundred percent market value, equally and uniformly, in a professional, ethical, economical and courteous manner, working to ensure that each taxpayer pays only their fair share of the property tax burden. For more information, please visit traviscad.org.

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An innovative collaboration between St. Joseph’s Health Centre and St. Michael’s Hospital has streamlined care and shortened lengths of stay for emergency department patients in Toronto’s west end.

Launched last year, the overnight CT reporting project speeds up access to CT scan results for emergency patients at St. Joseph’s. The project supports clinicians requiring overnight access to CT scans to diagnose and address everything from head injuries to bleeding and fractures.

At St. Joseph’s, emergency patients used to have to wait until daytime hours to have a CT scan and get the results. Noticing that this was causing long stays for patients in the department, the St. Joseph’s team partnered with the St. Michael’s Radiologist practice, Toronto Radiology, at the Department of Medical Imaging to speed up the imaging process.

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St. Michael’s, a Level 1 trauma centre, has had an Emergency Radiology division as part of its Radiologist practice for the past 6 years. Radiologists are available day and night to interpret scans for critical cases.

“We identified this collaborative opportunity for our St. Michael’s emergency radiologists, who were already here in the hospital overnight. Now they’re able to help patients across Unity Health and decrease the emergency department length of stay at St. Joseph’s Heath Centre,” says Dr. Anish Kirpalani, Chief of the Department of Medical Imaging at St. Michael’s.

St. Joseph’s now has a technologist on site to run CTs for patients overnight, and the scans are then securely sent to the emergency radiologists, led by Dr. Robert Moreland, at St. Michael’s to interpret. Rather than waiting for hours, or even coming back the next day, St. Joseph’s providers and patients now have access to timely scans.

Dr. Tara Williams, Chief of Diagnostic Imaging at St. Joseph’s, says the program is an example of cross-site collaboration “working for the greater good.”

“It has been a highly successful collaboration between the two hospital groups and has improved patient care,” says Williams.

Because of the success of the program right from launch, the two hospitals have continued to work together to sustain overnight reporting. Emergency physicians and staff at St. Joseph’s are excited by the partnership and the efficiency it has created for patients, who now have their scans interpreted in as little as an hour depending on capacity and demand.

Dr. Joan Cheng, Chief of the Emergency Department at St. Joseph’s, says that the program has allowed her team to make diagnoses while improving safety and outcomes for patients. It has been a game changer in terms of speed and efficiency for the department.

“Emergency care doesn’t stop when the sun goes down,” says Cheng. “And now neither does access to advanced imaging.”

By Olivia Lavery

Photo by Katie Cooper