Hearing that climate disruption is happening faster than scientists predicted worries me, but even more distressing is the lack of appropriate response from our policy-makers. The good news for us in Massachusetts is that we are well positioned to transition to clean, local energy and away from polluting fossil fuels.
Unfortunately, making this transition requires policy decisions at our Statehouse, and therein lies the challenge. We need our legislative leaders to respond to the climate crisis with determination and action, rather than politics as usual.
Renewable energy is ready to be rolled out on a large scale. Environment Massachusetts’ recent report, “We Have the Power: 100% Renewable Energy for a Clean, Thriving America,” gives reason for optimism.
The opportunities are heartening:
— Abundant wind offshore in the Atlantic can generate more than enough electricity to compensate for coal and nuclear power plants going offline. Wind turbines could generate at least 8,000 megawatts (MWs) of electricity in the federal offshore wind farm areas leased to companies that have built hundreds of wind turbines off European coasts. This exciting opportunity is waiting for our legislature’s action. Let’s urge them to start with at least 2,000 MW.
— Massachusetts has a solar industry that created 15,000 good jobs and installed over 1,000 MW of clean electricity in a short time. However, the industry suffers under arbitrary net metering caps that have stalled growth in most Massachusetts communities.
After a year of delay, the legislature took action last month, sadly taking the path of conventional political compromise. The outcome was policy that does far too little to produce the increase in solar capacity we need and want in our state – it raised the net metering caps a paltry 3 percent and inequitably decreased net metering compensation for large solar installations for groups such as low-income residents. Already in National Grid territory (which covers 171 communities including Northampton) the new cap has been reached, even before it took effect. We need our legislature to eliminate the cap entirely and reverse the inequitable changes made last month.
— Massachusetts has an admirable energy efficiency program which has helped reduce our energy usage and costs. Our legislature should expand this program – millions more homes and businesses can be better insulated and converted to more energy-efficient appliances and cleaner energy sources.
— Some states, like neighboring New York, are setting ambitious goals to get 50 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Why not Massachusetts?
Sadly, I believe the answer is conventional politics in which legislators are bombarded with the utility industry’s self-interested and overblown claims that more fracked gas is necessary to keep the lights on, that too much solar energy is unfair to ratepayers.
These arguments are crafted by out-of-state strategists with fossil fuel backing. Who would have thought progressive Massachusetts would fall prey to this ruse? Our state Senate is inclined to take stronger action on clean energy than our House, so we need to appeal to House leaders to act as if the future of their loved ones depends on a rapid transition to clean energy, because it does. Politics as usual will not suffice.
Tell lawmakers and Gov. Charlie Baker to abandon thoughts of charging consumers to build new fracked gas pipelines when what we want is to invest in clean energy for a healthier future. Let’s tell them we want more energy efficiency, more solar and rapid development of offshore wind farms, all of which provide good local jobs.
Such innovations require two things: political will and American ingenuity. Surely we can muster those.
Adele Franks lives in Florence and is a member of the Steering Committee of Climate Action Now. For information, visit climateactionnowma.org.