The Massachusetts State Senate was planning on voting on a major energy and climate bill this week but a Republican Senator has exercised their right to delay the vote. The Senate will now vote on Tuesday, June 25. If you have not already, take five minutes today to let your Senator know you support the bill and certain key amendments. 

Background 

The legislation, An Act Upgrading the Grid and Protecting Ratepayers, has a number of good measures, as summarized by the Boston Globe. We particularly support the language that protects consumers by banning retail electricity suppliers, supports electric vehicle adoption, and gives the Department of Public Utilities authorization to regulate gas utilities in alignment with our climate mandates. We expect the bill to pass, but several Senators will be offering amendments to the bill that will strengthen it.

Specifically: 

• #14 (filed by Senator Gomez), which would protect the Commonwealth from unnecessary gas expansion 

• #15 (also filed by Senator Gomez), which would halt the expansion of large gas pipelines 

• #16 (also filed by Senator Gomez), which would further protect ratepayers from gas expansion 

• #28 (also filed by Senator Gomez), which would create the Zero Carbon Renovation Fund we have long been advocating for 

• #48 (filed by Senator Keenan), which calls for off-peak charging rebates that account for all the benefits of shifting electric vehicle load off-peak 

• #110 (filed by Senator Rausch), which calls for building performance standards to steadily ramp down emissions in the building sector 

• #116 (filed by Senator DiDomenico), which calls for accurately assessing community impacts of energy infrastructure 
   

How To Take Action

1. Find your State Senator by entering your address here.
2. Click on their name to find their phone number.
3. Give their office a call and leave a message using the following script: Hi, my name is ___, and I am a constituent of Senator ___ living at [Address]. I am calling to urge Senator ___ to vote to pass S.2829, An Act Upgrading the Grid and Protecting Ratepayers. In addition, I support the passage of amendments 14, 15, 16, 28, 48, 110, and 116. 
4. Let us know that you took action by sending us an email (please email larry@greenenergyconsumers.org) or by commenting on this post.

What's Next 

Any day now or perhaps shortly after July 4, the Massachusetts House of Representatives will vote on its own energy and climate bill. When we know more about that, we will let you know. After the House takes action, a “conference committee” of members from the House and Senate will meet to resolve any differences between the two bills. It looks like we will all have to work hard to encourage the House to accept some of the good provisions in the Senate bill. 

Thanks for your attention.