Life continues to be looking up for residents of Massachusetts this week with the three-day average of coronavirus daily deaths dropping from 161 at the start of May to just 13 this past week. And although Mass. still has the highest unemployment roll in the U.S. standing at just over 17 percent, nearly 30,000 more jobs were added in June than in May.
Check out last week’s news for more details.
Lawmakers Face Pressure to Pass 100% Renewable Bill this Session
With the end of the current legislative session near, “activists, municipal officials, businesses, and civic organizations are urging lawmakers to take action on a bill that would require a 100% renewable electricity transition by 2045,” according to Energy News.
Gov. Charlie Baker has set a goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. However, a growing list of stakeholders are saying that at the currently planned pace, the transition to clean energy would take until the turn of the century.
In response, state Rep. Marjorie Decker and state Rep. Sean Garballey have cosponsored bill H.2836 calling for 100 percent renewable energy sources to meet the state’s electricity demands by 2035 and transportation and heating by 2045.
Originally, lawmakers were given a deadline of early June 2020 to make a decision on the legislation. However, that date was moved to July 22 due to all the attention required for the state’s coronavirus response.
A letter signed by 150 municipal officials from across the state, plus Environment Massachusetts and the Sierra Club has implored lawmakers to advance the bill forward before this legislative session ends. Furthermore, another letter signed by more than 80 medical professionals from some of the state’s most prestigious hospitals decries the damages to public health from burning fossil fuels and urges more substantive action.
A recent report by Environment Massachusetts outlining the steps to achieve 100% renewable energy includes:
Expanding energy efficiency efforts and standards
Improving public transportation
Making communities more walkable
Expanding offshore wind projects
Increasing solar power generation
According to advocates of the 100 percent renewables goal, Mass. needs to catch up with other states, municipalities, and even businesses that have already committed to clean energy. They point to five U.S. states plus Washington, D.C., that have set 100 percent renewable targets plus another 10 states that are aiming for a complete transition to clean energy.
Several large Massachusetts businesses, including Biogen, Iron Mountain, and New Balance have signed onto a global corporate sustainability initiative known as RE100 pledging to transition to 100% renewables by 2050. Many municipalities in the state have also committed to 100% renewables by that date including Cambridge, Lowell, and Northampton.
Energy News has more on this story.
Eastern Mass Residents See 21% Lower Energy Costs
As of July 1, Eversource Energy customers in Eastern Mass. are enjoying lower energy bills after the Department of Public Utilities approved a 21% lower electricity rate. The new pricing saves customers around 8 percent on average or more than $150 per year.
Eversource Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer Penni Conner had this to say:
“We're pleased to be passing along a summertime price cut to our customers who get their electricity supply through our Basic Service option. This reduction will come just in time to help customers who use air conditioning to cool their homes and businesses during the hottest days of the year. It will also help those customers experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19.”
Eversource attributes the rate reduction to an overall reduction in wholesale energy prices. The current wholesale rate is 9.877 cents per kilowatt-hour. That figure is down from the previous six-month rate of 12.517 cents.
All of Eversource’s customers have the option of purchasing electricity from its competitors whose prices have recently ranged from 6 cents per kilowatt-hour to 12 cents per kilowatt-hour.
Read more at MarketScreener.com.
Transportation Bond Bill Passes
Massachusetts legislators passed a $17 billion transportation bond bill aimed at funding improvement to the state's roads, bridges, and railways.
A large portion of the funds will go to improvements to public transportation and roads. The bill also attempts to benefit communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
Included in the measure is $50-million to develop the East-West Rail that will run between Springfield and Boston.