Gov. Charlie Baker, regardless of beforehand acknowledged reservations about funding, signed the Legislature’s compromised local weather and vitality invoice Thursday, a transfer hailed by environmentalists as the suitable step ahead.
“This new law will propel the Commonwealth’s efforts to meet its climate goals by scaling up offshore wind, stepping on the accelerator for more clean cars and clean energy buildings and making sure we create equitable access to the green jobs of the future,” Mass Audubon President David O’Neill mentioned in an announcement following the signing.
Called “An Act driving clean energy and offshore wind,” the brand new regulation will change the way in which the state connects to its rising offshore vitality trade, mandate all automobiles offered by 2035 are electrical, and speed up the transition to renewable vitality sources, all in an effort to assist the state attain it’s purpose of being a internet zero carbon emitter by 2050.
Ben Hellerstein, state director for Environment Massachusetts, mentioned the invoice is “a big deal.”
Baker amended the unique invoice the legislature had despatched him in July again with the advice they take away the cap on wind vitality pricing and so they make use of extra of the Biden Administration’s American Rescue Plan funding, which is simply obtainable for a restricted time.
The legislature despatched him again a invoice with out the cap but additionally with out the entire spending sourcing he requested for.
According to Baker’s administration, the invoice is the fruits of practically eight years of local weather progress.
“Since coming into office, the Baker-Polito Administration has taken significant action to protect the Commonwealth’s climate and natural resources,” the Baker administration mentioned in a launch.
Baker additionally signed the state’s new hashish reform regulation, vetoing solely a bit which might have required the state to check the usage of medical marijuana by college age youngsters, which the Legislature had accepted.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”