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Gov. Maura Healey on Wednesday evening signed the major clean energy bill that lawmakers, particularly Franklin-Medway Rep. Jeff Roy, spent months negotiating this summer and fall, a key lawmaker told the News Service.
The governor's office did not immediately respond to questions about the governor's action. The lawmaker said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper was making calls Wednesday evening to let stakeholders know the bill had been signed.
A main component of the legislation is a suite of reforms to siting and permitting laws for clean energy resources, and it also moves the state toward a stronger embrace of electric vehicles, makes more families eligible for discounted utility rates, and eyes fusion as a possible renewable energy source. Another provision allows the Department of Energy Resources to coordinate with other New England state to solicit long-term clean energy generation, including from nuclear power stations operating in Connecticut and New Hampshire.
Healey has been clamoring for lawmakers to get the siting and permitting reform language done for months, arguing that the changes are necessary if Massachusetts is going to live up to its mid-century carbon emission reduction commitments.
The Senate in June and the House in July passed their own climate bills, but Democrats were unable to reach a compromise by the end of formal sessions on Aug. 1. Sen. Michael Barrett and Roy continued negotiations into the fall, even after Healey tried to get the siting and permitting language alone passed as part of a budget bill.
Barrett and Roy reached a deal last month, and the Senate approved the accord 38-2 after Democrats struck a deal with Republicans to allow them to cast recorded votes for and against it during the stretch of informal sessions when roll call votes are usually not allowed.
The House approved the compromise last week on a 128-17 recorded vote during the same formal session that featured adoption of the economic development bill that Healey also signed Wednesday.
“This legislation advances critical updates for the siting and permitting of clean energy infrastructure, ensuring a supportive and reliable electric grid, and building out electric vehicle charging infrastructure, among so many other things,” said Roy, House Chair of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy. “By overhauling outdated state permitting and siting processes, the Commonwealth aims to secure an equitable, accelerated buildout of clean energy generation and infrastructure that we need to reach our climate goals and power our electrified clean energy future. These reforms are coupled with measured steps to promote solar energy system development, ensure that our gas companies comply with climate targets, procure more clean energy and storage solutions, and use grid-enhancing technologies and advanced meters to increase efficiency, while ensuring that this transition balances consumer safety and system reliability with protections for union workers.”
