Massachusetts
Less gas, quicker permits, and a lot more EV chargers — Massachusetts’ next climate law is taking shape. – The Boston Globe
Answer: It can’t. At least not without some serious changes.
A new climate bill in development on Beacon Hill will take aim at that problem by proposing multiple solutions to speed the pace of infrastructure decisions, and ensure that new construction doesn’t overly burden local communities.
That part of the climate bill appears to have the blessing of Governor Maura Healey’s office as well as both chambers of the legislature. But the remainder of the climate bill? That’s still taking shape.
A new Senate bill, released this week, is setting the stage for a sweeping measure that will build upon major reforms brought by climate bills in the past two legislative sessions. Those bills reshaped the way Massachusetts is addressing the climate crisis, from setting an ambitious goal to effectively zero-out greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century to laying the groundwork for an offshore wind bonanza.
In addition to speeding up the process for approving new electric infrastructure, the new bill being proposed by the Senate would rein in the expansion of natural gas; call for the installation of more chargers for electric vehicles; and ban the ability of third parties to sell electricity to residents. An amendment is expected to call for the expansion of the bottle bill, too.
State Senator Michael Barrett, who helped write the last two laws and is taking the lead in the Senate on this one, said the latest bill will be voted on later this week. But the aim is clear: “Here in Massachusetts, we have a number of medium-sized and small-sized discrete problems that we need to address,” Barrett said. “We have an opportunity to address them now.”
In other words: There is no silver bullet to address climate change. This is an attempt at a silver buckshot.
The changes related to energy infrastructure would be based on recommendations released earlier this year by a state commission. They include a requirement that all permits be issued within 15 months — a major change, considering there is no deadline currently and the review process can take up to four years. The changes would also ensure that developers “meaningfully engage” with potentially affected residents — people living near proposed power stations, for example — even before applying for a permit.
“We are in a critical moment for climate action, and legislation is necessary to move us forward,” said Maria Hardiman, director of communications for the state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. “In particular, siting and permitting reform is needed to meet our climate goals and ensure communities have meaningful input on clean energy projects.”
These changes may sound mundane, but when it comes to the clean-energy transition, they are anything but. Advocates say these changes are needed to see more EV chargers at key places, like airports, rest stops, and residential areas. Quicker permitting would also allow for more housing to be built that is powered electricity and not fossil fuels, and to clear up bottlenecks in the way of building more renewable energy.
“This is a really good starting point,” said Casey Bowers, executive director of the Action Fund at the Environmental League of Massachusetts. But she and her organization wanted to see more, including greater flexibility and innovation to how offshore wind is procured and a plan to stop new investments in gas infrastructure.
The state has been reckoning for years with how to address the expansion of natural gas. But the laws on the books still provide for a financial incentive for utilities to expand their coverage areas and to replace — rather than repair — leaky pipes.
This has led to a contradictory set of laws. On one hand, the state must slash emissions rapidly; on the other, it incentivizes the expansion of fossil fuels. What’s more, the costs of that expansion are passed on to ratepayers, meaning they are paying for infrastructure that may not be used in the coming decades as the state shifts off of fossil fuels.
The Senate bill aims to tweak existing regulations, so that going forward, the state Department of Public Utilities would have to evaluate whether requests for gas expansion are compatible with the state’s emissions reductions targets.
Likewise, when it comes to replacing leaky pipes, the DPU would have to consider other options — like repairing the pipeline or decommissioning — “with an eye toward realizing our climate goals and saving people money,” Barrett said.
It’s not clear where the House stands on this, or on other measures, including the hotly debated issue of essentially banning third-party electric suppliers from selling directly to consumers, often at rates that start low then climb well beyond standard utility bills
There does seem to be consensus from the two chambers on the urgent need for more EV chargers across Massachusetts to support a goal of having 300,000 electric cars registered in the state by next year. Right now there are only around 64,000.
All of the details remain far from settled — the Senate bill will have to be passed in that chamber, then reconciled with the bill released by the House.
Sabrina Shankman can be reached at sabrina.shankman@globe.com. Follow her @shankman.
Massachusetts
Man arrested after injuring Massachusetts State trooper, K-9 in wrong-way crash in Chicopee
A man has been arrested after injuring a Massachusetts State trooper and a K-9 in a wrong-way crash in Chicopee Saturday morning.
It happened around 4 a.m. on Interstate-91. State Police said they received a report that someone was driving very fast heading south on the north side of I-91. Officers began a “rolling roadblock” in the area “with emergency lights activated, in an effort to safely stop the vehicle and protect other motorists.”
The driver swerved and struck the rear driver’s side of a K-9 cruiser. He then hit another car head-on, according to state police.
The trooper and his K-9 were taken to nearby hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the car that was hit head-on also suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was treated at a hospital.
“I want to commend the bravery and quick actions of our Troopers, whose efforts to stop this wrong-way driver likely prevented further injuries and potentially saved lives,” State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble said in a statement. “These incidents demonstrate the risks our Troopers and all of law enforcement face every day on our roadways. The Massachusetts State Police remain committed to enforcing impaired driving laws and holding accountable those whose dangerous decisions put lives at risk.”
The driver, identified as 28-year-old Jose Santiago from Holyoke, Masaschusetts had minor injuries. He has been charged with operating under the influence of alcohol, negligent operation of a motor vehicle and other charges.
Chicopee, Massachusetts, is around five miles from Springfield and 90 miles from Boston.
Massachusetts
Officials ID man and woman killed in Route 6 crash in Dartmouth
An Acushnet man and a New Bedford woman are dead, and two others are injured after a crash in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, that left Route 6 completely impassable for a period of time Friday evening.
Police from Dartmouth and Westport responded just after 7:30 p.m. to 911 calls about a crash on Route 6 near the Dartmouth/Westport line, and arrived to find two vehicles were involved, the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office said.
A blue Toyota Camry sustained catastrophic damage in the collision, officials said. The male driver, identified as 34-year-old Tristan Bedient, and his female passenger, 51-year-old Kate Aldrich, were taken to a local hospital where they were pronounced dead shortly after.
Two people in the SAAB suffered non-life-threatening injuries, officials added.
Route 6 was closed westbound at Route 177 and eastbound at Highland Avenue. Police warned drivers to avoid the area, seek alternate routes, and expect significant traffic delays.
The cause of the crash is under investigation by Dartmouth police, Westport police and Massachusetts State Police assigned to the district attorney’s office. Further information was not immediately available.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts man charged in N.H. and N.J. bank robberies caught in Capital Region
GLENS FALLS, NY (WRGB) — A Massachusetts man is facing federal charges after prosecutors say he robbed two banks in separate states and tried to evade investigators by switching license plates—before evidence gathered in New York’s Capital Region helped lead authorities to him.
Joseph Sawyer is accused of stealing thousands of dollars from St. Mary’s Bank in New Hampshire and a Chase Bank in New Jersey last month. In both robberies, prosecutors say Sawyer fled in a Honda Odyssey minivan.
Prosecutors say the minivan originally had Massachusetts license plates, but Sawyer swapped them out with stolen New Jersey plates in an attempt to cover his tracks.
After the second robbery, highway cameras in Albany County captured the minivan as it tried to flee the tri-state area, prosecutors said. The FBI later tracked the vehicle to a motel near Glens Falls, where Sawyer was staying.
Prosecutors also say Sawyer’s own family helped identify him through surveillance photos, linking him to the robberies.
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