Baker bill would boost hydropower
Gov. Charlie Baker on Thursday filed procurement legislation to boost the state's supply of hydropower, a goal he says will increase electricity reliability, help grow an alternative to coal and oil power generation, and enable the state to meet emissions reduction goals of its Global Warming Solutions Act.
The bill aims to require Massachusetts utilities to “jointly, and competitively, solicit long-term contracts for clean energy generation resources and associated transmission together with the Department of Energy Resources,” according to Baker's office, and allows multi-state procurement. The bill “does not preclude intermittent renewable energy resources, such as wind, from participating in the solicitation provided the renewable resources is supported by hydropower.”
In a statement, Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton said the legislation strikes a balance between climate and environmental awareness, and the state’s need for clean, cost-conscious energy generation resources.
While most bills filed by the governor arrive in the House, Baker’s team said they filed the hydropower bill with the Senate.
Baker’s office issued its legislation with supportive statements from Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy, Boston Harbor Association President Vivien Li, and Senate President Pro Tempore Marc Pacheco.
However, the Conservation Law Foundation said the bill is troubling because it doesn’t focus on New England clean energy, and said the power source would need to be tracked “or else we could end up buying Canadian coal-powered electricity during periods of high demand in the Eastern Canadian provinces.”
“Hydropower needs to be a piece of the puzzle, but it must be added in a way that simultaneously protects our rivers and forests and incorporates alternate renewable energy solutions,” said Conservation Law Foundation spokesman Greg Cunningham.
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