Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
Approximately 150 people who attended the sixth annual Massachusetts Energy Summit, held on Nov. 8 in Worcester, heard about the state’s progress in renewable energy.
The clean energy sector in Massachusetts provides 74,000 jobs, making it the fastest-growing sector of the state’s economy, according to Alicia Barton McDevitt, executive director of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. This figure is up 11.2 percent over the past year, with 12 to 13 percent growth anticipated next year. Energy efficiency, the largest sub-sector of this area of employment, is up 35 percent.
While solar and wind energy have enjoyed significant success in recent years, anaerobic digestion projects, such as Jordan Farm in Rutland, may present the next growth area in renewable energy in Massachusetts, McDevitt said. The MCEC offers feasibility study grants for municipalities interested in assessing the potential of such projects.
Massachusetts spends approximately $12 billion per year on energy, and the state has promoted policies to decrease consumption and to develop energy resources. The state now has 174 megawatts of installed solar capacity and 61 megawatts of installed wind capacity.
During a panel discussion on Massachusetts energy programs, Dwayne Breger, director of the Renewable Energy Division of the Department of Energy Resources, said his agency was working with the Department of Public Utilities to create a “net metering” system to ensure that projects in the pipeline will be included under net metering caps, promoting their attractiveness to developers and increasing their viability. Small projects will not have to go through system of assurance, but will automatically qualify, he said, and will be exempt from the cap.
He said these policies to promote renewable energy are consistent with the comprehensive energy bill that was enacted in July. Breger also pointed out the importance of focusing on energy efficiency in addition to renewable energy.
Carrie Cullen Hitt, vice president of state affairs for the Solar Energy Industries Association, noted that while net metering is used in 46 states, “Massachusetts is a leader in this space.”
The Energy Summit, sponsored by the Worcester Business Journal, featured panel discussions on energy efficiency, state energy programs, and “green” energy best practices.
Keynote speaker Thomas Kiley, president and CEO of the Northeast Gas Association, said the growth of shale gas in his industry could play a significant role in achieving energy independence for the nation and driving down energy costs.