Commonwealth leadership has set a goal of a greener future for Massachusetts. New legislation aims to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from 1990 levels by 50% by 2023 and achieve net zero by 2050. This ambitious plan requires our collective effort to double electricity from solar photovoltaic generation, install 3,200 megawatts of offshore wind, and more than 2,500 megawatts of additional energy storage by 2030. We also need to ensure the necessary transmission and distribution infrastructure is in place to deliver this clean energy to our communities.
To accomplish these goals, a special commission was tasked with developing recommendations—work I have written about previously—that were submitted to both houses of the legislature. During the spring and summer, the MA Municipal Association, Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, and others called on the legislators to provide local governments with more local control, not less, as recommended by the special commission’s draft report.
The draft mandates permit granting to a new state agency in Boston. Permitting for large facilities of over 25 mWh or over approximately 100 acres with potential for causing the most environmental damage be by a new state agency in Boston with appointed – not elected – members. The agency’s goal would be to meet the administration’s energy targets by overriding local zoning bylaws rather than providing communities with greater discretionary approval authority once specific targets for renewable energy development in their municipality are met.
During the regular session, the House and Senate worked slowly on their versions of the energy bill. Even when the formal legislative session ended on July 31, without the legislation passing, we continued to educate legislators on the potential impact of their proposals on Western Mass, with the hope that our concerns would be incorporated into the final legislation.
However, according to State House News, with pressure from leadership to pass clean energy legislation bill mounting, and On October 24, the Senate passed the bill with only about ten senators in the chamber thus abandoning decades of prior precedent and the rules the legislature sets for itself to only vote on controversial issues in formal sessions. It is anticipated that the House will pass the bill before you read this.
It’s with sadness that I am writing this, but in a chin-up email I received after the bill passed in the Senate, I was told to “stop dwelling on what we lost, dust yourself off and get out there working.”
The potential loss is significant, and it’s urgent that we act. So, with the help of a few Republicans and Senator Paul Mark, we need to work harder than ever to protect what we love about our precious environment. This is a call to action, and we must continue our efforts with renewed determination.
Editor’s Note: It is anticipated that the bill will pass this week and become law.
