Massachusetts legislators put forward climate bill that would require 40% renewable energy by 2030

Vote Solar commended the Legislature for putting forward key climate legislation that will send a strong signal that Massachusetts remains committed to clean energy and to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. An Act Creating a Next-Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Policy, which Vote Solar urges Governor Baker to sign into law, is the first major update to the 2008 Global Warming Solutions Act and it represents a positive step forward for the Commonwealth. The Act would require the state to source 40% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030, with an end goal of 100% net-zero emissions by 2050, according to WBUR. WBUR reports the Act will be put before the House and Senate for up-or-down votes during the final two days of sessions for the state’s current General Court.

“This bill is a huge step forward for the Commonwealth, and a testament to the tenacity of both our elected leaders and advocates during this extremely challenging time,” said Stephan Roundtree, Jr., Northeast Director of Vote Solar. “The conference committee and legislative leadership have risen to meet the moment, and the Commonwealth is now poised to rejoin the global climate fight in earnest. If passed, the bill would shift power to communities facing environmental injustice, loosen restrictions on local solar power, and kickstart the green economy, all while developing an equitable and swift decarbonization roadmap.”

“This legislation creates a clear path forward,” Roundtree continued. “Yet important steps remain for the Commonwealth to build the climate-ready world that we need: Gov. Baker must commit to 100% renewable electricity, and further actions to scale up renewables serving low-income Bay Staters to make good on the promise of a socially equitable and carbon-neutral Massachusetts. The Baker administration now has its work cut out to walk that path.”

News item from Vote Solar

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Original Source: https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2021/01/massachusetts-legislators-climate-bill-40-percent-renewables-2030/