Mass. climate legislation in limbo as Baker files amendments – The Boston Globe

The 19 pages of amendments deal with core parts of the invoice, together with efforts to streamline the offshore wind business’s bidding course of and permit 10 communities to ban using fossil fuels in new buildings and main renovations.

“We’re optimistic that we will get to a last piece of laws that the governor is completely happy to signal,” mentioned Power and Atmosphere Affairs Secretary Beth Card. The governor’s amendments retain the themes of the Legislature’s invoice, she mentioned, whereas making an attempt to “be certain that from an implementation perspective, it’s attainable to do what’s being steered right here.”

Consultant Jeff Roy, who negotiated the invoice within the Legislature together with Senator Michael Barrett, mentioned he stays “assured that we are going to have a local weather and power invoice accomplished on this session.”

However there’s little time left on the clock to go a invoice that advocates and legislators say is vital to the state’s local weather response. “There’s fairly a bit right here, none of which seems to be good seashore studying,” mentioned Barrett. “The sheer density of it is going to complicate prospects for the 2 branches coming collectively.”

The sticking level on offshore wind is what’s generally known as the “value cap” — a mechanism that requires every new offshore venture to supply energy at a lower cost than the one introduced on-line earlier than it. Some fear that the cap has discouraged bids. The invoice from the Legislature wouldn’t have eradicated the worth cap, however it could solely apply it when there are two or fewer bidders.

The governor proposes taking that out, and eliminating the worth cap altogether. “We thought that was overly sophisticated, and that it could delay the implementation of our procurements,” mentioned Division of Power Assets Commissioner Patrick Woodcock.

The governor additionally desires to change the Legislature’s plan to permit 10 communities to ban fossil fuels in new buildings and main renovations. He’s proposing that the state Division of Power Assets set up laws “to place some boundaries round how these bylaws can be established, in order that we’ve got consistency from one group to the subsequent,” mentioned Card.

The governor additionally desires to exclude multifamily housing from the fossil gasoline ban, and proposed that the pilot venture not be allowed to go ahead till the state reaches a specific amount of unpolluted power capability.

Different amendments contact on how the state defines what an electrical car is, the proposed growth of the board for the Massachusetts Clear Power Middle, and adjustments to proposals concerning power effectivity, the era and use of renewable power and protections for ratepayers.

As well as, the governor is proposing utilizing $750 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding to put money into a clear power funding fund. In October of final 12 months, Baker had proposed making such an funding, nevertheless it didn’t go the Legislature.

Advocates and legislators, who have been nonetheless largely digging by means of the technicalities of the proposed amendments on Friday afternoon, supplied blended critiques.

Kyle Murray, senior coverage advocate for The Acadia Middle, a clear power advocacy group, mentioned that the group continues to be evaluating the amendments however is “happy to see that the Governor’s adjustments embody the spending of actual {dollars} at a big scale, together with $300 million for constructing decarbonization.”

State Senator Marc Pacheco of Taunton mentioned he was happy with the seriousness of the proposal. “The assets it contains appear extra per the invaluable alternative earlier than us to safe significant investments in our clear power financial system that may assist us create new jobs, enhance public well being, scale back prices for Massachusetts ratepayers, and obtain our newly up to date World Warming Options Act emission discount necessities,” he mentioned.

Steve Lengthy, director of coverage and partnerships on the Nature Conservancy in Massachusetts, mentioned Baker had missed a chance to intervene on the way in which that photo voltaic power is sited, saying that the invoice encourages siting of photo voltaic panels on agricultural land with out providing a pathway for conservation teams to be a part of the decision-making course of.

Ben Hellerstein, state director of Atmosphere Massachusetts, mentioned he thought a few of Baker’s proposed amendments would weaken the laws. For example, whereas the Legislature aimed to set a statutory requirement for Massachusetts to succeed in 100% electrical car gross sales by 2035, Baker mentioned it was not essential to place it into regulation and will battle with the “present authorities” beneath which the state is already planning to implement that coverage

Nonetheless, he mentioned, he was “inspired” to see Baker file amendments with two days left within the session.

“He definitely might have run out the clock and principally made it inconceivable for the Legislature to reply. He didn’t,” Hellerstein mentioned. “So I believe this can be a good signal.”

Now that the governor has weighed in, will probably be as much as the Home to first take into account the amendments earlier than sending what’s technically a brand new invoice to the Senate, which is able to then make its personal solutions. Then each branches must come to an settlement earlier than sending it again to the governor.

If the invoice just isn’t handed earlier than the tip of the day Sunday, it might get reintroduced within the subsequent legislative session in January, or the Legislature might come again for a particular session.

Dharna Noor may be reached at dharna.noor@globe.com. Observe her on Twitter @dharnanoor.

Sabrina Shankman may be reached at sabrina.shankman@globe.com. Observe her on Twitter @shankman.