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Boston Herald
Boston Herald
8 Aug 2024
Chris Van Buskirk


NextImg:Healey: Beacon Hill Democrats must find deal on ‘absolutely essential’ clean energy bill

Gov. Maura Healey doubled down on a call for lawmakers to pass a bill that reforms permitting and siting for renewable energy projects and expands clean energy procurements after talks fell apart in a dramatic fashion last week among Beacon Hill Democrats.

In the week since the Legislature ended formal business for the year, Healey has ramped up public pressure on top House and Senate leaders to return to work to tie off proposals that were left unfinished, including a clean energy bill she said is “imperative for Massachusetts.”

Healey, whose administration wrote most of the underlying bill lawmakers could not cut a deal on, said the state needs to expedite infrastructure projects in order to bring electricity generated by wind farms on land to distribute across the electrical grid.

“In order to do that, we need to build infrastructure and modernize the grid as quickly as possible. We put together a team, including a diversity of stakeholders, and out of that came agreed-upon recommendations,” she said Thursday morning at the State House. “I think there is agreement there about what needs to happen with permitting and siting. It’s very important we act on that.”

House Democrats have argued that the Senate, House, and administration agreed to language on permitting and siting reforms before the Senate released its initial draft of a clean energy bill in June.

But in the waning minutes of the Legislature’s formal session, discussions around a compromise proposal broke down, with the lead House negotiator accusing the Senate of “going back on its word” on the pre-agreed measures.

The House and Senate versions of the climate and clean energy bill have stark differences.

House lawmakers passed a version in July that primarily focused on increasing renewable energy procurements, reworking the siting and permitting process for clean energy projects, and decarbonizing modes of transportation and buildings.

A month earlier, senators signed off on legislation that packed in many more ideas, including an effort to reduce the use of natural gas in Massachusetts, a ban on competitive electric suppliers, and an expansion of the state’s “bottle bill,” among other things.

Healey did not say Thursday if she had a preference between the House or Senate versions of the bill, only that she wanted lawmakers to approve legislation tackling permitting and siting reforms, clean energy procurements, and decarbonizing the housing, transportation, and manufacturing sectors.

“This is absolutely essential and I think there’s agreement on that,” she said.