- Press Secretary Karissa Hand explained, to achieve her goal of net zero greenhouse gases by 2050, Governor Maura Healey has proposed historic changes. The Clean Energy Act passed in November 2024 will accelerate clean energy development and improve energy affordability. It is a sea change in how energy infrastructure is permitted in Massachusetts.
The Governor wants an additional 10 gigawatts by 2030. For solar panels to operate effectively, acres would have to be treeless. To produce 10 gigawatts, 50,000 to 100,000 acres would have to be cleared. There are 7 million acres in Massachusetts, 100,000 acres is only 1.5%, so what’s the big deal? Maybe it is the goal of “net zero by 2050” requiring 100,000 more acres per year for the next twenty years. Two million out of seven million acres is close to 1/3 of all Massachusetts land. This initiative, being suggested by a Progressive Democrat, was originally put forward by a Republican governor, Charlie Baker.
“Apr 1, 2021 · At the start of 2020, Gov. Charlie Baker, then-House Speaker Robert DeLeo and Senate President Karen Spilka all declared their support for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050” ene.org › baker-signs-law-committing-to-net-zeroBaker Signs Law Committing to Net-Zero Emissions by 2050.
- From Mass.gov
Governor Maura Healey’s “State Land for Homes” initiative is advancing plans for more than 5,600 new housing units on nearly 700 acres of underutilized state-owned land across 33 Massachusetts municipalities
Launched under the Affordable Homes Act (AHA), the program is designed to accelerate redevelopment of surplus state properties into affordable and middle-income housing, lower costs, and stimulate local economic growth. It streamlines the process for identifying, evaluating, and disposing of state-owned parcels, enabling faster permitting and construction.
Scale and scope – 5,600+ housing units to be developed on 700 acres of state-owned land. Includes both affordable and middle-income housing. Sites range from former state hospitals and almshouses to closed prisons, veterans’ homes, and university campuses.
How it works:
Identifies underutilized state properties
Partners with developers for housing projects
Streamline permitting and speed delivery
Generates local tax revenue by returning properties to the tax roll
Examples of projects: Brockton: Converting a former state unemployment office into 40 residential units with commercial storefronts ; Mattapan: Redeveloping the former Boston State Hospital campus;
Chelsea: Transforming the old Veterans home, and Lowell & Fitchburg: Vacant buildings slated for redevelopment
Governor Healey said, she is “turning underutilized state properties into thousands of new homes, creating new opportunities for families and workers, and helping communities grow across Massachusetts” .
Also, House Bill 5000 proposes allowing single-family homes on lots ≥5,000 sq ft with public utilities but the Governor’s current major housing push is the State Land for Homes program, which is far larger in scale and scope.
