Boston, MA – Today Governor Deval Patrick sign into law AN Act Relative to
the Green Communities Act, the latest iteration of Speaker of the House
Salvatore DiMasi’s original energy bill. This bill prioritizes energy efficiency
and renewable energy as solutions to Massachusetts’ energy woes and has received
broad support from environmental and industry groups alike.
“The
Massachusetts state legislature has made history by passing new energy policy
that will make Massachusetts a national leader in energy conservation and will
help our state promote clean energy and efficiency” said Ben Wright, global
warming advocate with Environment Massachusetts.
The bill requires that
Massachusetts produce 15% of our energy from clean, renewable sources, like wind
and solar power.
Additionally it requires utility companies to procure
new energy resources from the cheapest available sources, a boon for energy
efficiency.
“Wasting less energy and using clean, homegrown sources of
power reduces global warming pollution and cuts energy bills,” added Wright.
“This bill puts forth a comprehensive set of solutions to our energy
problems.”
The bill also provides numerous incentives for clean,
renewable energy. It promotes local generation of renewable energy, like solar
panels and wind turbines, by making them more cost-effective for individuals,
communities, and municipalities. It creates a framework for utilities to offer
long term contracts to renewable energy developers, and it offers resources to
help communities plan and implement energy saving or renewable energy projects.
However, buried in the bill are a few provisions that are cause for
concern. Chief among them is a provision that could provide taxpayer subsidies
to fund construction of new coal gasification fired power plants. “The bill is
overwhelmingly good, but we are slightly concerned about the possibility of
rate-payer money subsidizing a technology that could increase greenhouse gas
emissions from the Commonwealth. Massachusetts tax payers should not have to
foot the bill for new coal plants that could add to our to global warming
pollution.” Added Wright.
“There is no doubt that this is a historic
bill, but the job isn’t done yet. The legislature should reinforce its
commitment to a clean energy future by also passing the Global Warming Solutions
Act. By passing both of these bills, Massachusetts could be a major driving
force behind moving this nation towards a new, clean energy economy.” Said
Wright in summation.
