The Red Sox may or may not win the World Series this year, but Massachusetts residents already have much to celebrate in terms of environmental policy. A cornucopia of progressive and innovative legislation, much of which was explicitly supported by E2, places Massachusetts in an enviable position both in terms of attracting investment in the clean energy sector and addressing global warming. Made possible by unprecedented teamwork from Governor Patrick, Speaker of the House Sal DiMasi, and Senate President Therese Murray, the state’s accomplishments are stunning.

• The Green Communities Act is an extremely comprehensive and progressive energy bill that provides a wide range of new and innovative policies including a mandate that utilities purchase all cost-effective efficiency that is cheaper than new supply, green building codes and an extension of the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) to 15 percent by 2020. To help cover increases in efficiency spending, it provides funding from a variety of sources including the auction of Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative pollution allowances. A range of new programs also encourage renewable energy projects, distributed generation, and combined heat and power. The bill also offers aid to "green" communities to help them implement clean energy projects. E2 testified at hearings and held many meetings with members of the legislature in support of the bill.


• Decoupling. One of the more serious structural flaws in energy policy is the fact that typical utilities make their profits by selling more gas and electricity to consumers, rather than by encouraging energy efficiency. This year the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) passed regulations that will change all that by "decoupling" utility payments from the volumetric sales of energy, thus removing a huge disincentive for utilities to encourage ratepayer conservation. The decoupling order, in combination with the Massachusetts Green Communities Act, will align utilities’ economic incentives with support for energy efficiency programs, conservation and on-site clean, renewable energy generation.


• The Global Warming Solutions Act sets enforceable state limits on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across all sectors of the economy, mandating a reduction in GHG emissions of 10 to 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 and 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, with intermediate caps for 2030 and 2040. Although the details for implementing these caps will not be known until regulations are promulgated, the emission reductions required to meet these caps must be measurable and enforceable. The Act requires the Department of Environmental Protection to establish an emissions registry and reporting system and sets civil penalties of up to $25,000 per day for emissions violations. E2 was frequently called on to testify on behalf of this bill by Senator Marc Pacheco, Chair of the Senate Committee on Global Warming and Climate Change. This was an unexpected "bottom-of-the-ninth home run," since the bill was given up for lost until the last few days of the legislative session. Read more about E2 New England’s GWSA campaign.


• The Massachusetts Ocean Act is a landmark initiative to create a comprehensive plan to regulate ocean activities, from wind farms and ocean fishing to whale watching and environmental conservation. Using the best available science, the plan must balance all uses of the ocean with protections for marine wildlife and habitat; identify and protect special, sensitive or unique estuarine and marine habitats; and identify areas for locating appropriate scale renewable energy facilities. The law calls for the appointment of a 17-member Ocean Advisory Commission to assist in developing an integrated ocean management plan in conjunction with a nine-member Ocean Science Advisory Council. E2 has strongly advocated for this bill for over three years.


• The Green Jobs Act is designed to stimulate the creation of new jobs and also ensure that the state has the trained workforce to meet the demand. The bill creates the Massachusetts Clean Energy Technology Center with broad responsibility for stimulating the sector and overseeing its programs. The Center will encourage public and private financing for the construction of state-of-the-art clean energy research and development facilities; provide grants to state educational institutions to develop clean energy curricula; develop clean energy technologies by investments in research and manufacturing; and provide matching grants to colleges and universities to attract federal funding for research and development in clean energy.


• The Advanced Biofuels Bill will make Massachusetts the first state in the nation to exempt cellulosic ethanol from state gasoline taxes. The bill also requires diesel fuel and oil heat distributors to start adding biodiesel or renewable diesel to their fuel blends in 2010. Significant environmental and consumer protection safeguards were built into the legislation. All qualifying fuels must achieve at least a 50-percent reduction of lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions over petroleum and all fuels will be required to undergo a full lifecycle analysis, which includes "significant indirect emissions" and land-use changes. The bill also transitions the gasoline tax exemption and the biodiesel blending requirement into a Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), should such a system be adopted in Massachusetts or by the federal government.


• The Environmental Bond Bill is a $1.64 billion borrowing plan for projects that include protecting natural areas, safeguarding water quality, restoring rivers and streams, providing for dam removal, supporting working farms, maintaining critical natural areas, and maintaining wetlands, parks, beaches and bike paths. The five-year bond is the largest of its type in the state’s history and will be supplemented by Governor Patrick’s pledge to dedicate $50 million per year to land conservation. The bill also includes an income tax credit to spur private land donations to nonprofit groups, the state, or cities and towns.