Massachusetts is Making Strides in Clean Energy Legislation

Congratulations Massachusetts! Over the past few weeks, the Massachusetts State Senate, and now the House, have considered, voted on, and passed comprehensive energy legislation that will make major strides in Clean Energy. Once the bill’s final language has been hammered out, the legislation has the ability to cut pollution, address climate change, and give a major boost to our local and national clean energy economy and clean energy jobs.

The main takeaway from the landmark clean energy bill, S.2545, An Act to Promote a Clean Energy Future, is that our State Senate is focused on our future and ensuring that we not only fix what is wrong with our current energy system, but also create new, equitable systems to replace polluting energy sources. Some of the policies that we are most excited about are a suite of solar equity laws, a pipeline tax ban, community empowerment, and consumer protections from predatory energy companies.

More specifically, a combined bill hopes to:

• Remove the solar net metering cap;
• Expand the access to solar energy to low income consumers;
• Expand procurement of offshore wind; and
• Direct the state pension fund to divest from coal.

The solar equity provisions in the bill are well positioned to make Massachusetts a national leader in solar energy once again. They remove current policy barriers to allow solar companies to utilize land all over the state in order to serve suburban and urban populations of renters with solar energy, lowering their bills and making our grid cleaner. This legislation expands the state’s commitment to rapidly transition to renewable energy like wind and solar, and paves the way for more energy-efficient homes and businesses for a truly 100% renewable future in our state. (Source: Clean Water)

These strides in Clean Energy will continue to keep Massachusetts as a leader in the renewable energy field. According to a newly released environmental report compiled by the Environment Massachusetts Research & Policy Center, Massachusetts is making great strides in clean energy efforts. (“Renewables on the Rise 2018.”) The report, which analyzes progress from 2008 through 2017, ranks Massachusetts as the most improved state in the nation for energy efficiency. In addition, “the state was ranked 7th in the nation for solar electricity growth over that decade,” the report said. For more information on the comprehensive clean energy bills, visit our blog again and click through the resources we have provided below.

Resources:

“Highlights from State Senate Bill.” Clean Water Action. June, 2018.

“House of Representatives Boosts Massachusetts Clean Energy; What’s Next?” Union of Concerned Scientists; Science for a Healthy Planet and a Safer World. July 13, 2018.