NECEC Releases 2015 Clean Energy Priorities, Holds 4th Annual Massachusetts Clean Energy Day

As part of the New England Clean Energy Council’s (NECEC) Fourth Annual Massachusetts Clean Energy Day, executives representing NECEC member companies visited the Massachusetts State House today to showcase the state’s vibrant clean energy industry.

“With four years of consistent industry and job growth, Massachusetts’ clean energy industry is bringing new technologies to market and delivering important renewable energy and energy efficiency services to businesses and residents both within the Commonwealth and throughout the region, making our energy cleaner and more affordable,” said NECEC President Peter Rothstein. “We look forward to meeting with lawmakers to discuss the importance of consistent policy for businesses in this growing industry and how smart investments in clean energy now and over the long term will help lower energy costs and bring greater energy stability and security to the Commonwealth.”

NECEC, the lead voice for hundreds of clean energy companies across New England, influencing the energy policy agenda and growing the clean energy economy, released its 2015 Massachusetts Clean Energy Policy Priorities today, which outlines key legislative priorities to advance clean energy in the Commonwealth. NECEC’s priorities for 2015 are:

• Increase the Solar Net Metering Caps
• Authorize Procurement of Additional Grid-Scale Clean Power and Infrastructure
• Support Clean Energy Innovation by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC)
• Support and Strengthen Massachusetts’ Nation-Leading Energy Efficiency
• Support Massachusetts Grid Modernization Initiatives
• Support and Strengthen Massachusetts’ Nation-Leading Climate Policies

During a ceremony at the Grand Staircase, NECEC presented its 2015 Clean Energy Champion awards to Senator Marc Pacheco, Senator Bruce Tarr and Massachusetts Clean Energy Center CEO Alicia Barton for their leadership in advancing clean energy in the Commonwealth.

“I am honored to be recognized by the New England Clean Energy Council, which has helped set the Commonwealth and New England apart as an example for the rest of the United States to follow when it comes to pursuing a cleaner, more energy efficient future,” said President Pro Tempore Marc R. Pacheco (D-Taunton), founding chairman of the Senate Committee on Global Warming and Climate Change. “I am proud of the progress we’ve made to build a $10 billion clean energy industry in Massachusetts, which has bolstered new companies and created thousands of jobs while it has also allowed us to edge closer to achieving our clean energy goals.” 

"When you see firsthand what clean energy is doing for our economy and our environment, it's easy to be a clean energy champion," said MassCEC CEO Alicia Barton. "Residents and businesses are adopting clean energy in record numbers, Massachusetts has become a global hub for the sector and I'm proud to be one of the industry's many champions."

 Massachusetts Clean Energy Day showcases the growing vitality of the clean energy industry and the importance of consistent policy support as a means of catalyzing the state and regional economy. The Massachusetts clean energy sector has grown each of the past four years and now represents a $10 billion industry, accounting for 2.5 percent of the Gross State Product.

About NECEC (New England Clean Energy Council and NECEC Institute)

NECEC is a regional non-profit clean energy business, policy and innovation organization whose mission is to accelerate the region’s clean energy economy to global leadership by building an active community of stakeholders and a world-class cluster of companies.

NECEC works with clean energy businesses and entrepreneurs, policymakers and other stakeholders in the clean energy sector in New England and the Northeast through programs and initiatives that advance clean energy markets and help clean energy businesses access the resources they need to grow.