Employers make case to energy bill conferees
Courtesy | Ameresco
Solar farm
More than two dozen businesses called on lawmakers Tuesday to keep a focus on rolling out broader electric vehicle use in the final version of an energy bill locked up in private negotiations, throwing their support behind several provisions that featured in the Senate's approach.
Thirty-one employers and institutions, including Blue Cross Blue Shield of MA, Boston Medical Center, Mass General Brigham and FirstLight Power, wrote to members of the conference committee tasked with reaching a compromise on legislation to advance Massachusetts toward a net-zero emissions future after the House and Senate took different approaches.
Signatories highlighted three areas they want the final bill to tackle: new supports for a clean energy economy, additional investment in green infrastructure, and equity and justice for communities disproportionately harmed by environmental issues.
The authors said they "strongly encourage" lawmakers to enact a bill that calls for increased procurement and development of offshore wind power and storage and transmission updates, and they also endorsed state spending to incentivize electric vehicle adoption, expanded electric vehicle charging infrastructure and electrified public transit.
"Reducing emissions from our transportation sector while upgrading our electric grid to support a greater degree of distributed generation will make Massachusetts a cleaner and more attractive place to live and work," they wrote.
The House in March approved a bill aimed at supercharging the offshore wind industry by reforming the procurement process and creating new training, tax credits and incentives. The Senate responded in April with a broader-scope bill that tackles some of the same offshore wind issues while also calling for injecting $250 million into clean energy expansion and electric vehicles.
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