Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
On April 8, the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy held a hearing on a bill that would direct utilities to pursue long-term contracts for electricity from renewable sources, including hydropower.
The bill would require utilities in Massachusetts to solicit proposals for clean energy contracts of 20 to 25 years for up to 2,400 megawatts of electricity.
Massachusetts is currently behind in its goal of reducing carbon emissions to 1990 levels by the end of the decade and is facing a potential energy crisis with the upcoming retirement of several aging power plants.
At the hearing on the bill (H. 3968), administration officials expressed concerns that the current incentives for renewable energy, such as renewable energy portfolio standards, are not adequate to meet the state’s energy goals. Proponents believe that Massachusetts will only be able to address both its long-term energy needs and its clean energy goals by allowing large energy projects, such as Hydro-Québec, to enter the clean energy market.
Administration officials said long-term contracts could help to drive down the overall cost of electricity in Massachusetts. But opponents of the legislation expressed concerns that hydropower from Canada could flood the clean energy market with cheap power and undermine hundreds of companies developing solar and wind power in Massachusetts.
New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell told the State House News Service that he could not support the proposal as written because it would result in out-of-state power sources commanding a large share of the state’s renewable energy market.
“I do not believe the bill is beyond redemption,” he added, asking for a “reasonable carve-out” for local wind energy.
The bill could be amended while in committee to ensure that it would create a diversified mix of energy sources, including carve-outs for local wind and solar projects.
The administration is working with the other five New England states to bring additional power to the region from Canada through the proposed Northern Pass transmission line.