Massachusetts energy bill would make big cuts to energy efficiency
An energy-affordability bill approved yesterday by the Massachusetts House of Representatives could speed solar permitting, strengthen protections for many electricity consumers, and boost EV charging infrastructure. It could also pull the rug out from underneath the state’s nation-leading energy-efficiency programming.
The proposed $1 billion cut represents about 22% of the program’s existing three-year, $4.5 billion budget, but the fallout would be more severe than those numbers suggest. The current budget period runs from 2025 through 2027; by the time a bill could be enacted, more than half of the planned programming would likely have been executed. The $1 billion would therefore come out of a much smaller pool of money, and the impact would likely go well beyond the administrative and marketing costs the bill prioritizes, opponents said.
“It would really, absolutely cripple the program,” said Kyle Murray, director of state program implementation at climate nonprofit Acadia Center.
To read the full article from Canary Media, click here.