Friday, January 11, 2008

Massachusetts Senate Passes Visionary Energy Bill

On Wednesday, the Massachusetts Senate passed their version of the Energy Bill, which bears watching for the final product. The following offers information about the contents of the energy bill and since the Middleboro DPW Superintendent raised the issue of recycling at the Selectmen's Meeting, the information on the left side of the site might prove beneficial for review:
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Massachusetts Senate Passes Visionary Energy Bill
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Boston, MA – Yesterday the Massachusetts Senate passed An Act to Generate Renewable Energy and Efficiency Now, the latest iteration of Speaker DiMasi’s original Green Communities Act. This bill prioritizes energy efficiency and renewable energy as solutions to Massachusetts’ energy woes and has received broad support from environmental and industry groups alike.
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“The Senate has made history by passing new energy policy that will make Massachusetts a national leader in energy conservation and will position us as an authority in the clean energy economy,” said Diana Connett, energy associate with Environment Massachusetts.
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The bill curtails energy waste in several ways. It requires electric and gas utilities to procure energy efficiency before they buy more power, and it adopts more efficient energy codes for buildings across the state.
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One section of the bill sets up a home energy scoring program, which brings the efficiency of a building into the equation of when buying or selling a home.
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“Wasting less energy and using clean, homegrown sources of power reduces global warming pollution and cuts energy bills,” added Connett. “This bill puts forth a comprehensive set of solutions to our energy problems.”
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The bill also incentivizes renewable energy is numerous ways. It promotes local generation of renewable energy, like solar panels and wind turbines, by making them more cost-effective for individuals, communities, and municipalities. It creates a framework for utilities to offer long term contracts to renewable energy developers, and it offers resources to help communities plan and implement energy saving or renewable energy projects.
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From here, the bill with go to conference committee, where delegates from the House and Senate will compromise on a final version of the energy bill to be voted on by both chambers.
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“We look forward to working with House and Senate leaders to finalize an energy bill that will put Massachusetts on a path to a new energy future,” concluded Connett.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

"It promotes local generation of renewable energy, like solar panels and wind turbines, by making them more cost-effective"
Jimmy Carter did something similar in this regard - remember how common it was in the late 70's early 80's to see solar panels on people's roofs? Then Reagan came along and eliminated all the tax incentives. If Reagan had expanded on these sorts of incentives instead of gutting them, things would be very different today.