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Offshore Wind Progress on Beacon Hill
MA Senate Passes Important Energy Bill to Promote Offshore Wind
The U.S. has great offshore wind power potential. Photo from Flickr Creative Commons
Late last night, following hours of discussion and debate, the Massachusetts Senate passed their version of an energy bill now on track to make history. It contains the largest state commitment to offshore wind power ever made.
Locking in at least 2,000 megawatts of development within a decade, the Massachusetts Senate is reaching for enough offshore wind power to replace multiple dirty power plants, provide electricity to hundreds of thousands of homes, and launch the nation’s offshore wind industry.
The U.S. has struggled for over a decade to craft policies that will harness our largest untapped clean energy solution. With a commitment to at least 2,000 megawatts of offshore wind power, Massachusetts can finally launch the nation’s offshore wind industry – creating transformative economic development opportunities, replacing fossil fuel-fired power plants, protecting public health, and safeguarding communities, wildlife, and wild places from the dangers of climate change.
Here in Massachusetts, we find ourselves at a true energy crossroads – a moment where our elected officials will decide what the next chapter of energy generation will look like. Responsibly developed offshore wind power holds tremendous promise to achieve an energy future we can be truly proud of. Over the past several months, it became clear that during this legislative session, Massachusetts would either embrace its only home-grown, utility-scale, pollution-free resource, or let the opportunity slip by to be a first-mover in bringing this booming global industry across the Atlantic. Both the House and Senate have acted to ensure that we are reaching for the former.
What’s Next?
Earlier this month, the MA House passed an energy bill with a 1,200 megawatt offshore wind power commitment – already the largest in the nation to date. But still short of the scale needed to achieve the full potential cost reductions to get the industry to a cost-competitive place within a decade.
Now the House and Senate versions of this bill need to become one. In the coming days, a Conference Committee will be appointed to reconcile the differences between the two and produce a final version of the bill that the House and Senate will both need to pass.
As the process unfolds between now and the end of July, every legislator on Beacon Hill needs to hear that Massachusetts is ready to go big on the responsible development of offshore wind power. Please add your voice today!
Take ActionCall your Senator and Representative and let them know you support an offshore wind power commitment of at least 2,000 megawatts!
