We support net zero and want to see recently enacted climate legislation succeed. Ensuring it does will require a transition rooted in:
Inclusive & Data-Driven Decision Making
Massachusetts has been a national and international model for climate action. Given the ambitious deadlines set out by state and municipal policymakers and a number of complex choices ahead regarding heating, electric vehicles and the load on our grid, our decisions must be thoughtful, inclusive of multiple perspectives and driven by data not ideology.
A Diverse Clean Energy Portfolio
It is critical that Massachusetts invest in a broad portfolio of energy technologies beyond solar and wind to sustainably achieve our climate goals. These should include Renewable Natural Gas and hydrogen, which will reduce dangerous emissions such as methane from food waste and make use of existing transmission and distribution infrastructure in which taxpayers have already invested billions of dollars.
Scaling New Solutions Quickly and Effectively
As 2030 fast approaches, the Commonwealth’s building and transportation commitments will increasingly rely on an expanded electricity grid. We must prioritize technologies that can not only reduce emissions but also be brought online quickly for use by Commonwealth homes and businesses. This means we must reform infrastructure siting policy to support the large-scale delivery of electricity necessary to meet emissions reduction targets by the end of the decade.
Repurposing and Reimagining Existing Infrastructure
At a time when building and siting solar farms and wind turbines is time consuming and logistically challenging, we must find ways to utilize existing infrastructure. Not only will this maintain an infrastructure that supports good-paying and equitable unionized jobs, but it will also reduce the need for unnecessary carbon-intensive construction by helping transport zero-carbon energy sources to homes and businesses.