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
Foul play suspected after human remains found in water in Shirley
Human remains were discovered Wednesday in the water in Shirley, Massachusetts, and authorities suspect foul play.
Police in Shirley said in a social media post at 7:15 p.m. that they responded to “a suspicious object in the water near the Maritime Veterans Memorial Bridge on Shaker Road.” Massachusetts State Police later said the object was believed to be human remains.
The bridge crosses Catacoonamug Brook near Phoenix Pond.
The office of Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan said a group of young people was walking in the area around 5:30 p.m. and “reported seeing what appeared to be something consistent with a body part in the water.”
Foul play is suspected, Ryan’s office said.
Authorities will continue investigating overnight into Thursday, and an increased police presence is expected in the area.
No further information was immediately available.
Massachusetts
Ice covered highways, streets and sidewalks in Boston area rattled nerves during morning commute: “I’m ready for the thaw”
It was a treacherous commute for drivers across Massachusetts Wednesday morning. Ice on roads and highways caused several crashes during rush hour.
In Danvers, 22 miles north of Boston, the ramp from Interstate 95 to Route 1 north was covered in ice, leading to three separate crashes involving twelve cars. Three people were taken to local hospitals.
In Revere, just seven miles north of the city, two tractor-trailers collided on North Shore Road. Police said it will be shut down for most of the day. It’s unclear if this crash was caused by icy conditions.
Forty-four miles west of Boston, a tractor-trailer ran off the westbound side of the Massachusetts Turnpike in Westboro. One person was taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester with what were described by the fire department as “non-life threatening injuries.”
The ice wasn’t just a problem for drivers. People walking around Boston were also slipping and sliding Wednesday morning.
“I almost fell at least five times but I didn’t. I don’t know how. I screamed and caught edges,” Swapna Vantzelfde told CBS News Boston about her walk to work in the South End. It took longer than usual.
“The internal streets they just don’t get plowed, the little ones that people live on and then these arteries, the big streets, they’re cleaned a lot better,” she said.
Those on two legs and four were all stepping gingerly across slick spots.
“A little treacherous. Very slick and icy out here,” said a father pushing a stroller. “Sometimes you have something to hold on to, which helps.”
With plenty of snow piled along sidewalks and between parking spots, most people are done with winter.
“I’m over it. I’m ready for the thaw,” said one man.
Massachusetts
‘No way to leave’: Mass. families stuck in Middle East amid war in Iran
Massachusetts families are stuck in the Middle East amid the war in Iran, and Democratic Sen. Ed Markey says the State Department needs to do more to get them home.
The Trump administration is telling Americans to leave the region, and families would love to, but they haven’t been able to get out.
Stacey Schuhwerk of Hingham has been sheltering in place in a Doha hotel since Saturday.
“We hear the missiles outside,” she said. “We can see them.”
The Hingham mother and her son are among nearly 1,600 Americans trapped in the Middle East with no way to get home.
“Airspace is shut down. There’s no planes,” said Schuhwerk. “There’s no way to leave.”
Flights between Boston and the Middle East are canceled or delayed as travelers express anxiety over the conflict.
At first, U.S. officials told people to shelter in place and register with the State Department — something Schuhwerk did days ago.
“There’s no help there. The last time we called was 20 minutes ago, and they continue to say that ‘We don’t know anything about any plans for government help to get people out,’” she said.
Embassies and consulates across the region — including the U.S. Embassy in Israel — have now suspended services, saying they simply can’t get Americans out.
“They did not have a plan to conduct this war, and they clearly did not have a plan as to how to evacuate innocent families,” Markey said.
The senator says his office is hearing from Massachusetts families, and he’s pressuring the Trump administration to come up with an evacuation plan fast.
“We are going to apply that pressure on the State Department until every American who wants to leave that region is out,” he said.
Back in Doha, Schuhwerk keeps watching the war outside her window.
“The talk here is ‘How much defensive ammunition’s left?’ Good question, you know, because the missiles aren’t stopping,” she said. “So how long are we going to be safe here?”
With no clear end to this conflict, she’s worried she could be stuck there for weeks.
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