Sen. Crighton, Rep. Ehrlich Urge Gov. Baker To Sign Climate Bill

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — The state legislators representing Marblehead and Swampscott are urging Gov. Charlie Baker to sign the climate bill that passed both the House and Senate last week.

Rep. Lori Ehrlich and Sen. Brendan Crighton touted the bill's mandate of setting a 2050 net-zero greenhouse gas emissions limit, as well as intermediate limits every five years, increased requirements for offshore wind energy procurement, required emission reduction goals for MassSave and defined environmental justice populations.

They said the bill also increases support for clean energy workforce development programs aimed at low-income communities and improves gas pipeline safety.

"This legislation will help Massachusetts achieve our climate goals, create jobs and protect vulnerable residents," said Crighton, who represents Marblehead, Swampscott and Lynn, in a statement. "Climate policy can't wait and these bold approaches solidify Massachusetts' role as a national leader in carbon emission reduction and clean energy technology utilization."

Legislators are attempting to turn up the heat on Baker, who must sign the bill before Thursday or leave it unsigned in what amounts to a "pocket veto" given that the legislature was unable to pass it until the very end of the session last Tuesday.

"The importance of this far-reaching climate legislation is what it means for life on a livable for us and future generations," said Ehrlich, who represents Marblehead and Swampscott. "Decades ago, I got started in public life advocating for a coal-burning power plant in Salem that was threatening our health while it was heating up the planet.

"In the last decade, I have taken up the cause of the public safety and climate implications of putting tons of explosive, unburned methane into the environment. This is why I am so thrilled that will this bill we set the green energy bar high for other states and the nation."

The legislation includes, among other items, the following provisions.

• Sets a statewide net-zero limit on greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and mandates emissions limits every five years, as well as limits for specific sectors of the economy, including transportation and buildings.
• Codifies environmental justice provisions into Massachusetts law, defining environmental justice populations and providing new tools and protections for affected neighborhoods.
• Requires an additional 2,400 megawatts of offshore wind, building on previous legislation action and increases the total to 5,600 megawatts in the Commonwealth.
• Directs the Department of Public Utilities (DPU), regulator of the state's electric and natural gas utilities, to balance priorities going forward: system safety, system security, reliability, affordability, equity, and, significantly, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
• Sets appliance energy efficiency standards for a variety of common appliances, including plumbing, faucets, computers and commercial appliances.
• Adopts several measures aimed at improves gas pipeline safety, including increased fines for safety violations and regulations related to training and certifying utility contractors.
• Increases the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) by 3 percent each year from 2025 – 2029, resulting in 40 percent renewable energy by 2030.
• Establishes an opt-in municipal net zero energy stretch code, including a definition of "net-zero building."
• Prioritizes equitable access to the state’s solar programs by low-income communities
• Establishes $12 million in annual funding for the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center in order to create a pathway to the clean energy industry for environmental justice populations and minority-owned and women-owned businesses.
• Provides solar incentives for businesses by exempting them from the net metering cap to allow them to install solar systems on their premises to help offset their electricity use and save money.
• Requires utilities to include an explicit value for greenhouse gas reductions when they calculate the cost-effectiveness of an offering of MassSave.
• Creates a first-time greenhouse gas emissions standard for municipal lighting plants that requires them to purchase 50 percent non-emitting electricity by 2030 and "net-zero" by 2050.
• Sets benchmarks for the adoption of clean energy technologies including electric vehicles, charging stations, solar technology, energy storage, heat pumps and anaerobic digestors.