Massachusetts State House passes “comprehensive” energy affordability bill

The Massachusetts State House of Representatives has voted 128-27 in favor of Bill H.5151, a piece of legislation designed to address rising utility costs across the state.

Also known as “An Act Relative to Energy Affordability, Clean Power, and Economic Competitiveness,” the newly-passed bill has a total of 40 cosponsors throughout the House. Passed Feb. 26, the bill was given an emergency preamble to help speed it along through the process and outlines a path forward for the state’s energy crisis, including solar and storage solutions.

Kyle Murray, director of state program implementation and Massachusetts program for New England-based climate nonprofit the Acadia Center, says the bill is a promising advancement for the state. Still, there is more work to be done.

“Energy affordability and clean energy are not at odds – fundamentally, the same solutions needed to address underlying drivers of energy costs are those that will make the grid cleaner, more flexible, and more efficient,” Murray says. “The House has advanced a promising updated package of policy reforms that better recognizes this reality, but more work must be done to rectify the major remaining red-flag and remove arbitrary and counterproductive cuts to energy efficiency, which should remain the anchor of the Commonwealth’s energy affordability strategy.

“Failing to do so will make this package a net-loser for families, who will be left paying dearly for more expensive conventional fuel and infrastructure.”

To read the full article from Solar Builder Magazine, click here.