With the new federal administration promising a sharp turn on federal climate policy, advocates in Massachusetts have their work cut out for them to keep clean energy and net-zero emissions goals moving forward.
There are new sets of challenges, and we can expect less federal assistance than previously, which means that states will have to step up and lead the way.
Here’s a list of some of the bills we’re following that have been filed so far:
- SD.846 / HD.2997: An Act relative to affordable housing and environmental adaptation dollars
- SD2488 / HD4154: An Act Facilitating Distributed Energy Resources in the Commonwealth
- SD2553 / HD4155: An Act Modernizing and Optimizing Small-scale Assets in Communities ((long-term DER deployment bill))
- SD.764: An Act establishing the Municipal Reforestation Program
- HD.3428/SD.2088, An Act preventing gas expansion to protect climate, community health and safety
- HD.1833/SD.742, An Act prohibiting the use of ratepayer funds for utility lobbying, promotions or perks
- HD.940/SD1985, An Act to encourage solar development on built and disturbed land
- SD896 / HD1596, An Act implementing elementary and secondary interdisciplinary climate literacy education
- SD.1350 / HD.2066: An Act limiting the eligibility of woody biomass as an alternative energy supply
- SD.1351 / HD.2076: An Act to remove woody biomass from the greenhouse gas emissions standard for municipal lighting plants
- SD.2276 / HD.2707 – An Act Providing Nature for All
- HD2623: An Act to mandate the review of climate risk in order to protect public pension beneficiaries and taxpayers. — About getting state employee pension funds out of fossil fuels and other climate risk investments.
- HD1887: An Act relative to fossil fuel free 529s. — About allowing Massachusetts tax deductions for investing in fossil fuel free 529 college savings plans from other states, where Massachusetts does not have a similar plan.
- HD.3171: Zero Carbon Renovation Fund
- SD.837 / HD.3670, An Act supporting climate progress through sustainably developed offshore wind
- SD1632 / HD1885: Clean Energy Equity
- HD. 3369: An Act Establishing a Climate Change Superfund (Make Polluters Pay)
- SD. 1397: Mass Save Reform (Assessments)
- SD. 1467: Municipal Voices in Gas Utility Work