First communities in Mass. to ban gas appliances get final state OK

"After years of deliberations, negotiations and regulatory rollout — and some well-publicized “agita” in the corner office — a handful of Massachusetts cities and towns can now significantly limit the use of fossil fuels in new building projects.

The state’s Department of Energy Resources gave seven communities the final green light to begin a groundbreaking experiment: they will require new construction and major renovation to embrace fossil fuel-free infrastructure for uses like heating and cooling.

They include Acton, Aquinnah, Brookline, Cambridge, Concord, Lincoln and Lexington, which can now effectively mandate that most construction or significant renovation projects within their borders abstain from oil and gas hookups.

Effective dates vary by community. In several cases, the rules will take effect within three months, though Lincoln’s will not kick in for roughly six months and Aquinnah’s appears to have already started on Jan. 1."

Continue reading the article at the Boston Globe (subscription may be required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/01/05/business/massachusetts-gas-bans/

New construction in Cambridge and at least six other cities and towns in Massachusetts will be largely free from fossil fuels under a new pilot program approved by state energy regulators last month.LANE TURNER/GLOBE STAFF