The law, which was passed on 21 November when Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed the bill, promotes a clearer path to a renewable energy future with better outcomes for people and nature.
It comes with a number of environmental benefits, including:
Expediting land-based renewable energy siting and permitting: it simplifies permitting of clean energy projects by establishing timelines and consolidating the local and state permits that the developer would otherwise need to obtain individually
Providing improved environmental standards
Enhancing community engagement: it aims to reduce lengthy community conflicts by requiring energy developers to conduct earlier community engagement and public meetings and through an assessment to fund public participation and intervention in energy-related proceedings.
Massachusetts shares a goal with the United States: reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050 to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
The Massachusetts Chapter of The Nature Conservancy played a key role in steering the direction and development of the policies.
Steve Long, TNC Massachusetts’ director of policy and partnerships, served on a governor-appointed commission that proposed the reforms that made policy recommendations that were codified into the law.
In a joint statement, Steve and Jessica Wilkinson, TNC’s North America renewable energy team lead, said: “It’s not your father’s electric grid anymore. Today, Massachusetts enacted a landmark climate and clean energy law, modelling to other states that there are more efficient and equitable ways to transition to the energy future we need.”
“The newly signed law will help make sure that clean and renewable energy projects in Massachusetts will meet standards for biodiversity, healthy lands and waters, resilient ecosystems and environmental justice communities while maximizing benefits to the climate, conservation and communities – what we call the 3Cs.”