Woburn Delegation, Statehouse Passes Climate Change Legislation

Press release from Woburn's state legislative delegation:

WOBURN, MA — Last week, Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington), Representative Richard M. Haggerty (D-Woburn), and Representative Michelle Ciccolo (D-Lexington), along with Senator Mike Barrett (D-Lexington) and their colleagues in the Massachusetts Legislature, passed breakthrough climate legislation that overhauls the Commonwealth’s climate laws in order to drive down greenhouse gas emissions, create clean energy jobs, and protect environmental justice communities.

The bill, S.2995, An Act Creating a Next-Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Policy, sets a 2050 net zero greenhouse gas emissions limit alongside statewide guidepost limits every five years. It also increases the requirements for offshore wind energy procurement, bringing the statewide total to 5,600 megawatts, and requires emission reduction goals for MassSave, the state’s energy efficiency program. And significantly, for the first time, this bill establishes the criteria in statute that define “environmental justice populations.” It also increases support for clean energy workforce development programs, including those targeting low-income communities, and improves gas pipeline safety.

“This bill steps up the pace of our collective drive to contain climate change,” said Senator Barrett, Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy. “It’s the strongest effort of its kind in the country. With the tools the Legislature assembles here, we’re constructing the response we need and providing a blueprint to other states.”

“I am pleased that the Massachusetts Legislature took this major step forward and solidified its commitment to protecting our environment,” said Senator Friedman (D-Arlington). “I am particularly proud that this legislation includes language I fought for during the Senate amendment process that would achieve emissions reductions equitably and in a manner that protects low- and moderate-income persons and environmental justice populations when the state is developing regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in our communities. I want to thank Senate President Spilka and my Lexington counterpart Senator Barrett for taking the lead on this issue and putting Massachusetts on a path toward a clean, green and sustainable future.”

“Climate change and justice are the number one issues for my district, and with this legislation we take major steps toward confronting both,” said Representative Ciccolo. “I am fortunate to work alongside Senator Barrett, who is such a leader on environmental justice issues and worked so tirelessly to bring this effort to fruition. I am pleased this bill is now on Governor Baker’s desk, and I look forward to him quickly signing this critical measure into law.”

“I was very proud to support a comprehensive energy bill that builds on the Commonwealth’s commitment to a clean energy future by adopting an aggressive 2050 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target, business solar incentives, and creates more megawatts of clean offshore wind power,” said Representative Haggerty. “Importantly, this bill supports the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center by encouraging further work-force development programs. As we have recently seen with the life science industry in our state, our Commonwealth’s job market will benefit in the long-term from investing in future-growth industries including the clean energy sector.”

Among its many other provisions, this legislation:

• Establishes a statewide net zero limit on greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and mandates emissions limit checkpoints every five years to ensure progress toward that goal, and sets limits for specific sectors of the economy, including transportation and construction;
• Codifies environmental justice provisions into law, defining “environmental justice population” and providing new tools and protections for affected neighborhoods;
• Requires an additional 2,400 megawatts of offshore wind procurement;
• Directs the Department of Public Utilities (DPU), which regulates the Commonwealth's electric and natural gas utilities, to balance priorities going forward, including system safety, system security, reliability, affordability, equity, and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions;
• Sets appliance energy efficiency standards for a variety of common appliances, including plumbing, faucets, computers, and commercial appliances, among others;
• Adopts several measures aimed at improving 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 three percent each year from 2025 to 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- and women-owned businesses;
• Adopts several measures aimed at improving gas pipeline safety, including increased fines for safety violations and regulations related to training and certifying utility contractors;
• 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; and
• Sets benchmarks for the adoption of clean energy technologies, including electric vehicles, charging stations, solar technology, energy storage, heat pumps and anaerobic digestors.

The bill is now with the governor.

This press release was produced by Mayor Scott Galvin's office. The views expressed are the author's own.