Response to the Governor’s Amendments for a Strong Climate, Wind, and Jobs Bill
The Honorable Ronald Mariano The Honorable Karen Spilka
Speaker of the House of Representatives President of the Senate
Massachusetts State House, Room 356 Massachusetts State House, Room 332
The Honorable Jeffrey N. Roy The Honorable Michael J. Barrett
House Chair, Joint Committee on Senate Chair, Joint Committee on
Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy Telecommunications, Utilities, & Energy
Massachusetts State House, Room 42 Massachusetts State House, Room 109D
Re: Response to the Governor’s Amendments for a Strong Climate, Wind, and Jobs Bill
Dear Speaker Mariano, President Spilka, Chair Roy, and Chair Barrett,
We applaud the hard work you and your colleagues have been doing to ensure the Commonwealth is taking the necessary and bold steps to develop equitable climate legislation for all MA residents.
We ask that you accept, revise, and reject the following gubernatorial amendments, respectively, in H.5060, An Act Driving Clean Energy and Offshore Wind:
1. Accept Section 67(a) – Allocating $750M American Rescue Plan Act funds to investments in clean energy is critical for accelerating the Commonwealth’s clean energy sector. Buildings are the second largest source of emissions in MA, and funds are needed to transform our existing buildings from polluters to protectors of our health, communities and the climate. Investing $300M for retrofitting our existing buildings is urgently needed.
2. Accept Section 87(a) – this amendment ensures that low- and moderate-income residents can benefit from climate resilient buildings and that buildings are made to be truly climate resilient: super efficient, all-electric, with renewable energy generated and stored on-site.
3. Reject Section 88 – The Legislature’s biomass provisions are urgently needed. Gov. Baker’s amendment completely undermines the intent of the climate bill by creating a blanket exemption for any biomass power plant that began commercial operation prior to 2022. If not rejected, dozens of old and polluting biomass power plants across New England could qualify for Massachusetts’ renewable energy subsidies when Governor Baker’s RPS biomass rule changes go into effect later this summer. Please reject this amendment.
4. Reject Baker’s proposal to remove Section 57 - The Gas System Enhancement Plan working group is critical to holding our utilities accountable in working on behalf of communities. It helps to ensure that utilities are reducing greenhouse gas emissions at a pace that meets the Commonwealth’s legally binding emissions reductions requirements. Please reject the Governor’s amendment that would remove this working group.
We need a climate bill that supports all communities in the equitable transition to clean energy and climate resilient buildings.
Thank you for your service and leadership.
Sincerely,
350 Central Mass
350 Mass
Allandale Coalition
Andover WECAN
Berkshire Environmental Action Team
Boston Catholic Climate Movement
Boston Clean Energy Coalition
Boston Climate Action Network
Boston Teachers Union
Brookhaven Residents Climate Change Committee
Canton Residents for a Sustainable Equitable Future
Clean Water Action
Climate Action Now (Western Mass)
Climate Code Blue
Climate Reality Project Massachusetts Southcoast
Community Action Works Campaigns
Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation
Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation
Fairmount Indigo CDC Collaborative
Faith Communities Environmental Network
Fore River Residents Against the Compressor Station
Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility
Green Newton
Groundwork Lawrence
HealthLink
Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action
Jewish Climate Action Network - MA
Kavod Boston
Lexington Climate Action Network
Longmeadow Pipeline Awareness Group
Lynn United for Change
Massachusetts Climate Action Network
Massachusetts Interfaith Power and Light
Mothers Out Front MA
Mothers Out Front Worcester
No Fracked Gas in Mass
NOFA/Mass
Partnership for Policy Integrity
Pipe Line Awareness Network for the Northeast (PLAN-NE)
Renew Worcester
Salem Alliance for the Environment-SAFE
Sierra Club Massachusetts
South Coast Neighbors United
Southwest Boston Community Development Corporation
Springfield Climate Justice Coalition
Sustainable Middleborough
Sustainable Wellesley
Tipping Point 01545
Unitarian Universalist Mass Action
Climate Action Task Force; First Unitarian Universalist Society in Newton
Environmental Justice Committee, First Parish in Bedford
First Parish Church/Lexington,MA
Green Sanctuary of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Reading
North Parish of North Andover Climate Justice Group
First Parish of Concord Environmental Team