The Massachusetts Legislative Process. Allan Fierce summarized his extensive legislative background in the document Climate Advocate’s Guide to The 2021-2022 Massachusetts Legislature. A slide deck with this information in a presentation format is here.
Priorities for the 2020-2021 Legislative Session. ECA Mass is working through the hundreds of bills filed in the new legislative session. Our goal is to select our top priority bills by April. For the current legislative session, we are focusing on bills that contribute to making the goals and strategies laid out in the 2030 CECP (Clean Energy and Climate Plan) “real” both in terms of required funding as well as policies and regulations.
Testimony: ECA Mass frequently participates in state briefings and hearings in order to advocate for legislative and regulatory rules and statutes we believe to be most effective in combatting climate change. Here is a compilation of some of our testimony.
- ECA Mass testimony in support of GreenWorks bill – H.3997 – February 2020
- ECA Mass testimony in support of 2050 Roadmap bill – H.3983 – June 2019
- ECA Mass testimony in favor of Healthy Soils legislation
- ECA Mass testimony on carbon pricing
- ECA Mass testimony against gas pipeline expansion
Videos: In support of our mission to combat climate change, we presented an educational series aimed at Massachusetts climate activists who want to understand and participate in the state’s planning to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Part 1 – Getting to and beyond Net Zero – a Massachusetts approach. This video covers.
- Why we must go beyond net zero to “net negative” emissions.
- Progress the state has made to date in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
- Core principles and values moving forward.
The slides for this presentation are here.
- Part 2 – Getting Rid of Fossil Fuels in Transportation and Buildings. This video covers.
- The primary strategy – electrification with clean electricity.
- Transportation electrification – approaches, challenges, alternatives.
- Building electrification – approaches, challenges, alternatives.
- Impact on demand for electricity
The slides for this presentation are here.
- Part 3 – Achieving 100% Clean Electricity in Massachusetts. This video covers.
- The key requirements for electricity
- A close look at wind and solar – the variable renewables.
- Approaches to address variability.
The slides for this presentation are here.
- Part 4 – A Decade of Change. This video covers.
- The administration’s 2050 Roadmap
- The administration’s draft 2030 CECP (Clean Energy and Climate Plan).
- Climate Legislation – Next-Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Policy (S.2995).
The slides for this presentation are here.
- Part 5 – Beyond Energy. This is the final installment of the series. The video covers.
- Non-energy emissions.
- Land sector and carbon sequestration.
- Emissions.
The slides for this presentation are here.
Research: Our advocacy is informed by research that enables us to develop positions that result in the best path forward over the longer term. We need to insure our views are well considered and not “dead ends”. In support of this goal, we have written a number of white papers on a range of topics.
- Restoring the Biosphere to Address Climate Change – November 2020
- The Role of Hydropower in Meeting Our Energy Needs – June 2020
- The Role of Biomass and Bioenergy in Achieving Net Zero Emissions – May 2020
- FAQs Climate Change, Net Zero Emissions, and Energy – August 2019
- Mass Electric Use and Source in 2050 (can regional renewables meet demand) – February 2018
- What does 100% renewable energy mean? – February 2017
- Relation between Clean Energy Standard and Renewable Portfolio Standard (why raising the RPS may be more complicated than you think) – February 2018