SUSTAINABLE WELLESLEY
  • About
    • Our Mission and Who We Are
  • Take Action
    • So Much You Can Do
    • Buildings (Home/Office)
    • Donate
    • Food
    • Gas Leaks- Get off of Gas
    • IdleFree
    • Land Care
    • Run For Office
    • Solar
    • Transportation
    • Volunteer
    • Vote!
    • Waste >
      • Alternatives to Plastic
      • Gift Wrap
      • Reduce Plastic
  • News
  • Calendar
  • Green Schools
    • Mission and Who We Are
    • Green Team Representatives >
      • Food Waste Diversion
      • Environmental Education
      • Smart Event Guide
      • Borrow Free Supplies for Your Event!
    • Families >
      • End of year Locker Cleanout Tips
      • School Supply list

Massachusetts New Climate Law Is Now In Effect

6/26/2021

 
Picture
Press Release from: 
Clean Water Action, Mass CLU ​ and Mass Climate Action Network

State’s energy policies must now weigh equity, climate concerns and community safety alongside cost and energy needs


Massachusetts' breakthrough climate law takes legal effect today, 90 days after it was signed by Gov. Charlie Baker.  Most notably, effective today, the scope and mission of one state agency, the Department of Public Utilities (DPU), has changed dramatically. The DPU can no longer make decisions strictly based on the criteria of system reliability and affordability, instead it must factor in the effects of our energy system on residents health and safety and the climate, as well as cumulative impacts for environmental justice communities.

The bill rode a rollercoaster on the way to passage in late 2020 and early 2021. Governor Charlie Baker vetoed a version of the legislation that came to his desk days before the end of the 2019-2020 legislative session. When it reached his desk again in January, Governor Baker sent watered down amendments back to the legislature. House and Senate leaders responded to pressure from their constituents and overwhelmingly rejected  efforts to weaken key parts of the legislation. The Governor finally capitulated and signed the bill into law in March 2021.

The Department of Public Utilities must align its policymaking with an ambitious new mission.  Under the Next Generation Roadmap, the DPU must give equal weight to six factors as it decides electric power and natural gas rates, reviews contracts with electric and gas companies, and makes policy.  System reliability and affordability, the DPU's two long standing priorities, will remain crucial, but starting today  the DPU must also consider four new criteria -- safety, system security (from both cyberattacks and physical sabotage), equity, and reductions in climate pollution (GHG).  

“This bill takes an important step by putting equity and climate explicitly in the mission of our utility oversight. It's been long overdue.” said Lee Matsueda of Community Labor United, “Now our energy policy will have more clear guidance to better serve Environmental Justice communities, and confront disproportionate impact and unequal treatment.”

Also starting today is the requirement that all parties - the state agencies, the utilities, the program administrators -  involved in running Mass Save must factor the “social value of greenhouse gas emission reductions” into the design, evaluation, and approval of program service. Essentially, until now, the benefits of not burning dirty fuel for health and climate justice have been missing from the cost-benefit analysis.

“With the social value and benefits of equitable energy efficiency being finally added to the equation, we will see deeper investments in these critical programs.” said Andrea Nyamekye of Neighbor to Neighbor, “Cleaner air, lower heating and cooling bills, and lower asthma rates in historically impacted communities.” 

This new requirement begins little more than a month after the Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee shared a Draft 2022-2024 Energy Efficiency Plan.  During the last public comment session, advocates highlighted another new statutory requirement, effective today,  to align the plan’s goals and benchmarks with the new emissions targets that will be established on July 15 by the Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.  

The Green Justice Coalition has worked for years to increase access to energy efficiency programs in language isolated and low-income communities. “Residents in our state are struggling with high utility bills and economic hardship after COVID-19; with the rising temperatures every year, we cannot let our communities suffer any longer. We call on the Baker Administration to address the barriers that are preventing participation by members of EJ communities and reject any 3-year plan that doesn’t center the needs of these communities.” said Paulina Casasola, Climate Justice Organizer for Clean Water Action.

“Governor Baker had succumbed to the interests of real estate lobby groups and attempted to water down key provisions in the bill, targeting the net zero stretch provisions,” Sarah Dooling of the Massachusetts Climate Action Network said. “But advocates got this bill over the finish line by demanding buildings be part of the climate solution, and legislators listened.  Building code is now valued as a core part of the climate movement.  The bill also adds three new seats to the Board of Building Regulations and Standards -- with expertise in commercial and residential building energy efficiency, and advanced building technology. The BBRS is now in a position to work effectively with the Department of Energy Resources on developing a true net zero stretch code guided by community input.”


Comments are closed.

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    11th Hour
    2022
    350.org
    5 Minutes
    Action
    #ActioninWellesley
    Actions
    Add To Your Resume
    Air Conditioning
    Air Quality
    Air Source Heat Pumps
    All Ages
    Apartment
    Appliances
    Art
    Attorney General
    Author
    Award
    Babson
    Banking
    Banks
    Beacon Hill
    Becca Rausch
    Bike
    Bikes
    Biking
    Bill McKibben
    Biodegradable
    Boards And Committees
    Book
    Book Club
    Book Group
    Books
    Borrow
    Boston
    Build
    Builders
    Building
    Buildings
    Bus
    Business
    Buy Nothing
    Cabell Eames
    Call
    Cancer Causing
    Candidate
    Candidates
    Car
    Car Free
    Car Line
    Cars
    Catalog
    Catch Connect
    Children
    Christmas Tree
    Clean
    Clean Energy
    Clean Heat
    Clean Heating And Cooling
    Clean Up
    Climate Actin
    Climate Action
    Climate Action Committee
    Climate Action MA
    Climate Action Plan
    Climate Angst
    Climate Bill
    #climatechange
    Climate Distress
    CLimate Justice
    Climate Matters
    Clothing
    Coach
    Cold
    Comfort
    Commonwealth
    Community Service
    Commute
    Compost
    Composting
    Conservation
    Conservation Land Trust
    Conserve
    Construction
    Conversation
    Cook
    Cooking
    Cooking Technology
    Cool
    Coping
    Corporate Responsibility
    Council On Aging
    Create
    Cycling
    Cynthia Creem
    Dana Hall
    Dave Becker
    Decarbonize
    Demonstration
    Dems
    Department Of Public Utilities
    Design
    Dine
    Distress
    Donate
    Donation
    Drive
    Drought
    Dryer
    Dump
    Earth Day
    Easier
    Easy
    Eco Anxiety
    Efficient
    Elect
    Election
    Elections
    Electric
    Electric Appliances
    Electric Car
    Electric Experience
    Electricity
    Electricity V
    Electric Lawn Care
    Electric Vehicle
    Electric Vehicle Event
    Electric Vehicles
    Electrificatino
    Electrification
    Electrify
    Electronic Waste
    Energy
    Energy Assesment
    Energy Audit
    Energy Efficiency
    Energy Efficient
    Energy Price
    Energy Savings
    Energy Use
    Environment
    Environmental Justice
    Environmental Voters Projct
    Equitable
    EV
    Ev Car
    EV Charging
    Events
    Evolutions
    Ewaste
    Experts
    Fall
    Family
    Family Friendly
    Farm Animals
    Fashion
    Fast Fashion
    Fathers Day
    Feel Good
    Fields
    Finance
    Food
    Food Pantry
    Food Waste
    Foodwaste
    Free
    Fridays For Future
    Fun
    Fund
    Future
    Garage Sale
    Garden
    Gardening
    Gardens
    Gas
    Gas Leak
    Gas Leaks
    Get Involved
    Get Off Gas
    Get Together
    GHG
    Global Climate Strike
    Goals
    Go Green
    Grass
    Green Building
    Green Consumer Alliance
    Green Schools
    Grow Food
    Guests
    Hardy School
    Healey Administration
    Health
    Healthy
    Healthy Family
    Heat
    Heater
    Heating And Cooling
    Heating System
    Heat Pump
    Heat Pumps
    Help Others
    High Efficiency
    High Performance
    Historic Home
    Holiday
    Holiday Lights
    Holidays
    Home
    Home Renovation
    Homes
    Hope
    Hot Water
    House
    Housing
    Hunnewell School
    HVAC
    Hybird
    Ideas
    Idle
    Idling
    Incentives
    Indiction
    Induction
    Inspiration
    Inspire
    Internship
    Investment
    Job
    Join Us
    July Jubilation
    Junk Mail
    Jupiter
    Kelsey Hudson PhD
    Kids
    Landcare
    Land Conservation
    Landscape
    Landscaping
    Lawn
    Lawn Care
    Lawn Mower
    Lawnmower
    Lawns
    Leadership
    Leadership Team
    Lead On Climate
    Leaf Blower
    Leaf Blowre
    League Of Women Voters
    Leaves
    LEED
    Legislation
    Legislators
    Library
    Library Of Things
    Lighting
    Light Plant
    Lights
    Lincoln
    Living Sustainably
    Lobby
    Local Government
    Local Politics
    Make Change
    Marathon
    Marine Pollution
    Masks
    Mass Climate Action
    Mass Save
    MCAN
    Meatless Monday
    Meet
    Meet Goals
    Meet New People
    Meet People
    Middle School
    Mindy Domb
    Mini
    MIT
    Mobility
    Mobility Plan
    Money
    Mopo
    Mother's Out Front
    Mower
    Municipal Light Plants
    Mustang
    Natick
    Natick Mall
    Native
    Native Garden
    Native Palnts
    Native Plants
    Natural Resources
    Natural Resources Commission
    Nature
    Neighbor
    Net Zero
    New Construction
    Newton
    New Year
    No Cost
    Noise
    Oil
    Olin
    Opportunity
    Organize
    Parade
    Parenting
    Partner
    Party
    Passive Home
    Passive Homes
    Passive House
    Peabody
    Peak
    Pension
    Pets
    Pfas
    Picnic
    Pipe Lines
    Pizza
    Plants
    Plastic
    Polestar
    Police
    Politics
    Pollinate
    Pollution
    Power Plant
    Pre Loved
    Pre School
    Printer
    Psychologist
    PUBLIC TRANSIT
    Questions?
    Quiet
    Rainwater
    RDF
    Reach Goa
    Reach Our Goals
    Read
    Realtors
    Rebate
    Rebates
    Recycle
    Recycling
    Recycling Facility
    Reduce Costs
    Register To Vote
    Renew
    Renewable Energy
    Renovate
    Renovation
    Renovations
    Residential
    Reslience
    Retro Fit
    Retrofit
    Reusable
    Re-use
    Reuse
    Rev. Vernon K. Walker
    Ride
    Rides
    Rummage
    Rummage Sale
    Run
    Run For Office
    Safe Streets
    Safety
    Save
    Save Energy
    Save Money
    Saving Us
    School
    School Food
    Schools
    Science
    Scoot
    Scouts
    Sen Creem
    Sen Mike Barret
    Share
    Share Inputt
    Shave The Peak
    Shop
    Show
    Sierra Club
    Smart Heating And Cooling
    Snow Blower
    Social And Family Event
    Solar
    State House
    State Of Mass.
    Statewide
    Stay Warm
    St. John's School
    Stormwater
    Story
    Stove
    Student
    Students
    Summer
    Supplies
    Support Climate Action
    Survey
    Take Action
    Talk
    Tax
    Teachers
    Test Drive
    Thanks
    Thanksgiving
    Thank You
    TikTok
    Tiny Home
    Tips
    Tonight
    Town Goverment
    Town Government
    Town Hall
    Town Meeting
    Town Of Wellesley
    Town Politics
    Toxins
    Train
    Transit
    Translate
    Transportation
    Tree Planting
    Trees
    Try
    TV
    Use Less
    Vacation
    Vehicles
    Virtual Event
    Volunteer
    Vote
    Vote Your Values
    Walk
    Washing Machine
    Waste
    Waste Reduction
    Water
    Water Conservation
    Watering Restrictions
    Wayland
    Weatherize
    WeCare
    WEF
    Wellesley
    Wellesley College Student
    Wellesley Free LIbrary
    Wellesley Green Schools
    Wellesley High School
    Wellesley League Of Women Voters
    Wellesley Middle School
    Wellesley Police
    Wellesley Police Department
    Wellesley Public Schools
    Wellesley RDF
    Wellesley Students
    Wellesley Town Hall
    Wellesley Water
    Wellesley Wonderful Weekend
    Weston
    WhatsApp
    What's Is New
    Whs
    Winter
    WMS
    Work
    Wrap
    Write
    Yard Sale
    Year End Charitable Giving Wellesley
    You Are Invited
    #YouCanDoIt
    Your Talents
    Your Values
    Your Voice
    Your Voice Heard
    Zero Emissions

    RSS Feed

Sign up for updates!

Get Our Newsletter

Contact us!

[email protected]
75 Emerson Road
Tel: 508-353-6964

Support us!

Volunteer
Donate

Follow us!

Copyright © 2025 By Sustainable Wellesley
Photos from Rennett Stowe, Fan.D & Dav.C Photgraphy, Ivan Radic, KOMUnews, focusonmore.com, Ivan Radic, shixart1985, vwcampin, shixart1985, Scrap Pile, garlandcannon, Ivan Radic, We Like Sharing, Ruth and Dave, Ivan Radic, REM Photo, Images_of_Money, Raed Mansour, comedy_nose, Ivan Radic, RLHyde, aqua.mech, dc_gardens, mbkestell, EpicTop10.com, Consumerist Dot Com, THE Holy Hand Grenade!, Robert Couse-Baker, portland general, pedrosimoes7, /\ \/\/ /\, valentinapowers, Bob Klannukarn
  • About
    • Our Mission and Who We Are
  • Take Action
    • So Much You Can Do
    • Buildings (Home/Office)
    • Donate
    • Food
    • Gas Leaks- Get off of Gas
    • IdleFree
    • Land Care
    • Run For Office
    • Solar
    • Transportation
    • Volunteer
    • Vote!
    • Waste >
      • Alternatives to Plastic
      • Gift Wrap
      • Reduce Plastic
  • News
  • Calendar
  • Green Schools
    • Mission and Who We Are
    • Green Team Representatives >
      • Food Waste Diversion
      • Environmental Education
      • Smart Event Guide
      • Borrow Free Supplies for Your Event!
    • Families >
      • End of year Locker Cleanout Tips
      • School Supply list