Thursday, July 21, 2022

Conference Committee reaches agreement on climate bill

Statement of State Rep. Jeff Roy and State Senator Mike Barrett 

State Rep. Jeff Roy and State Senator Mike Barrett, chairs for their respective branches of a conference committee appointed to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of a new climate bill, announced today that a compromise has been reached. 

An Act Driving Clean Energy and Offshore Wind preserves the central ideas of bills that each branch had passed separately.  The compromise is expected to be filed tonight and to come before each legislative branch for final approval as soon as tomorrow, after which it will go to the Governor for his consideration. 

The chairs issued the following joint statement: 
“Massachusetts needs to open up huge new sources of green electric power if it’s to stay on course for reducing emissions. Today’s compromise aims to ramp up clean power, especially offshore wind but also solar, storage and networked geothermal, and run it through cars, trucks, buses, and buildings, the biggest sources of emissions in the state.  
“We thank President Biden for issuing a call to action to the entire country today,” the two continued. “Massachusetts legislators hear him, and we’re going all out.”
 
Deepwater Wind's turbines off Block Island, R.I., as seen in 2019.RODRIQUE NGOWI/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Deepwater Wind's turbines off Block Island, R.I., as seen in 2019.RODRIQUE NGOWI/ASSOCIATED PRESS

No comments:

Post a Comment