ACES Statement concerning the Governor Baker’s signing of H. 5060
Governor Charlie Baker’s signing of the Massachusetts Climate Bill (“An Act Driving Clean Energy and Offshore Wind”) marks a major milestone for Massachusetts in terms of climate action. It is a bill that both addresses the pressing need to respond to the planet’s deepening climate crisis and that can stimulate new jobs and economic growth in the clean energy and climate tech sectors. Simply put, this bill contains elements that should make all of Massachusetts happy. The Alliance for Clean Energy Solutions offers enthusiastic applause for the passage of this watershed act to Governor Baker and to Rep. Jeffrey Roy and Sen. Michael Barrett, who led the legislative effort to craft this bill.
It covers the full range of renewable energy initiatives, including offshore wind, solar power, energy storage, upgrading the grid, electric vehicles and electric vehicle infrastructure. This bill will enable Massachusetts to generate, store and transmit vast amounts of clean energy during this decade. Added to the federal Inflation Reduction Act, it can put the Bay State on course not just to meet, but to exceed its climate goals.
Yet we note much of the potential good this climate bill can do still awaits funding via an unfinished economic development bill. The Governor sought to invest $750 million into clean energy, mirroring the $1 billion the Commonwealth made into the life sciences industry, which has turned Massachusetts into a biotech powerhouse. The proposed $750 million should be the minimum the state spends over the next decade to supercharge the climate economy. We urge legislators to return to the table and hammer out a comprehensive economic development bill that delivers this high-priority funding.
Massachusetts has taken a major leap forward on climate response and it is our hope the state takes one additional leap before the close of the year.
The Alliance for Clean Energy Solutions (ACES) is a “coalition of coalitions” composed of business groups, clean energy companies, environmental organizations, health and consumer representatives dedicated to advancing clean energy for Massachusetts. ACES is committed to ensuring that those charged with shaping Massachusetts’ energy policies have the most rigorous, current data on the benefits and costs of clean energy. Our goal is to ensure that the Commonwealth can attain a cost-effective, reliable and diverse energy supply to power its businesses, communities, and households, which will reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, create a stable and prosperous business environment and meet the Commonwealth’s greenhouse gas emissions requirements.