On the heels of House passage of comprehensive energy
legislation — and criticism of it by environmental groups — state Sen. Benjamin
Downing, the Senate chairman of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications and
Energy, said he wants the Senate’s version to include an increase of the
state’s renewable energy portfolio and to spur energy storage technology.
“We’ve been leaders in solar, we’ve been leaders in
efficiency,” said the Pittsfield Democrat who represents many Franklin County
towns. “Making sure you get the most out of both of those would be by expanding
the role that storage can play in the grid. I think requiring the utilities to
go out and procure storage ... are strategies we’re considering now and ought
to be part of our clean-energy strategy moving forward.”
After getting comments from Senate members, said Downing, he
expects a measure will be taken up at the end of the month or early July.
Downing has filed legislation, which he said he would like
to see incorporated into the energy package, that would double from 1 to 2
percent the annual increase in the renewable porfolio standard that electricity
suppliers have to get from renewable sources. Under law, the percentage is now
expected to reach 15 percent by 2020.
In its version, the House voted nearly unanimously Wednesday
to diversify the state’s energy mix by requiring utilities to enter into
long-term contracts for large-scale hydroelectric and offshore wind power to
help cut the state’s reliance on natural gas and meet its carbon emission
reduction mandates.
The House bill would require utilities to solicit proposals
spanning 15 to 20 years for roughly 1,200 megawatts of hydropower and 1,200
megawatts of offshore wind energy, subject to state approval.
Environmentalists
A coalition of environmental groups said they hope the
Senate will move faster on offshore wind by requiring purchase of up to 2,000
megawatts — “still only a fraction of what is readily available far off the
coast of Massachusetts — in order to secure the lower costs and greater
environmental benefits.”
The Alliance for Clean Energy Solutions, including National
Wildlife Federation, Environmental League of Massachusetts, Mass. Audubon and
Massachusetts Sierra Club, also called on the Senate to develop a plan to
implement an energy storage program, which it said would be “a game-changer,”
and to increase the renewable energy portfolio standard.
It said it would like to see the issue of solar incentives
revisited after a short-term expansion was signed into law earlier this year.
No Fracked Gas in Mass. was among the environmental groups
that spoke out about the House version of the bill for failing to include an
amendment that would have banned any new tariff on electric bills to fund
pipeline capacity.
Gov. Charlie Baker has pushed the importation of large-scale
hydropower from Canada as a reliable and cost-effective way to respond to the
impending retirement of more than 10,000 megawatts of fossil fuel and nuclear
power generation in the region.
In the House, seven amendments were adopted, including one
by Rep. Stephen Kulik, D-Worthington, to help homeowners finance energy
efficiency projects and a Ways and Means amendment aimed at making sure gas
companies survey and repair any leaks when pipes are exposed as part of a local
infrastructure improvement project.
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