Support WBUR
Commentary
We can't let the state Legislature squander Mass.' clean energy opportunity
Clean energy investment is surging across the U.S. Federal laws like the Inflation Reduction Act have spurred hundreds of billions of dollars in private funding to confront climate change by building the energy infrastructure of the future.
It’s a win for the entire nation, with nearly every state benefiting; but it can look very different from state to state. Some states, like Arizona and Nevada, are becoming bustling hubs for clean energy manufacturing with regular groundbreakings for new, state-of-the art factories to build crucial technologies like next-generation batteries, electric vehicles and solar panels. Other states, such as Minnesota, have moved to accelerate the transition to reliable, affordable, clean electricity with policies that make it easier to get clean energy onto the grid.
Massachusetts has a golden opportunity to experience both booms at once, setting itself apart by capturing the kind of strong economic tailwinds that the high-tech and life science sectors delivered the state in previous generations. What a shame it would be to squander this opportunity.
Before negotiations on many important issues fell apart on Beacon Hill last month, lawmakers were on the verge of approving two key pieces of climate and energy legislation. The first, outlined between the House’s bill H.4804 and the Senate’s S.2967, is a wide-ranging economic development plan that includes a significant investment to support Massachusetts’ clean technology sector. The idea is to harness the state’s capacity for innovation and its strong workforce to build upon an already burgeoning clean-tech ecosystem that includes clean cement manufacturing in Holyoke, fusion energy development in Devens, the vast number of climate startups spinning out of Greentown Labs in Somerville and the iconic brand of GE Vernova in Cambridge. Those companies, among others, have already given Massachusetts a robust foundation to capture the investment flowing into clean technology, but this legislation would go a long way toward building on that.
The second, marked by H.4884 and S.2838, would focus directly on confronting climate change. Among other measures, this legislation would include reforms to speed up the state’s permitting and procurement processes for clean energy. As such, it would address a nationwide issue: In order to meet federal and state climate targets, we must get clean energy online more quickly. That means cutting through red tape to ensure the state can build what it needs to meet its goals in an efficient, responsible manner, following the lead of states like Minnesota and Michigan. Done right, permitting reform can speed up clean energy deployment while also safeguarding communities from the negative impacts of energy project development.
While these proposals would help the global fight against climate change, they also represent economic opportunities. Notably, each boasts significant support from Massachusetts businesses and investors, and it’s easy to see why. Collectively, the legislation would help build a lucrative new industry with well-paying jobs, ensure quicker and broader access to the affordable clean energy that businesses increasingly demand, and reduce the growing climate-related risks to infrastructure, supply chains, facilities and workforces. Above all, as clean energy investment advances across the U.S., they would demonstrate that Massachusetts is fully open for business.
Unfortunately, negotiators in the state House and Senate could not agree on final versions of their climate and economic development bills before the two-year legislative session came to a disappointing halt at the start of August. As lawmakers consider calling a special session to address their unfinished work, they no doubt have many pressing priorities on their minds. But they shouldn’t lose sight of the nationwide interest in investing in places with the brainpower, workforce and ambition to build and deploy the clean technologies of the future.
Massachusetts is well-positioned to capitalize on this interest and seize the opportunity by passing these two pieces of legislation.
