Study: Green Massachusetts possible by 2020

By Erin Ailworth, Globe Staff

Wind, sun, water, biological waste - Massachusetts has the potential to turn them into a combined 10 million megawatt hours of power annually by 2020, according to a study being released Monday.

The state's top energy official said the findings dispel any notion that Massachusetts would have to import much of the renewable power it will be required to use under recent legislation aimed at reducing dependence on fossil fuels while encouraging clean technologies that don't add to global warming. Those requirements, part of a larger "green" effort led by Governor Deval Patrick, dictate that by 2020, 15 percent of the power purchased by utilities must come from renewable energy sources built in the last decade.

The 114-page study, by Navigant Consulting in Burlington, examines the state's ability to use wind, sun, ocean, river, and biomass technologies to generate power.

"The punch line of this study is that there is an enormous potential to develop renewable energy in Massachusetts, and this goes against some historical perceptions of Massachusetts," said Ian Bowles, secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. In the past, such projects have been hindered by complicated permitting processes, objections over siting, and uncertainty about their financial viability and the level of local demand.

Now, though, getting solar panels, wind turbines, and other renewable energy technology in place should be easier, said David Barclay, executive director of the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association. Patrick recently signed several "green" bills into law, including one that requires utilities to invest in efficiency and another that's designed to boost the creation of a green-jobs sector.

Barclay called those in the Patrick administration pioneers in moving Massachusetts forward in both the energy efficiency and renewable energy.

"They understand that America needs to use literally every tool in its bag to address climate change and to reduce our energy consumption and dependence on foreign oils," Barclay said. "I think that everyone is in agreement that less dependence on foreign oil sources and less carbon are both very important goals. This study makes clear what is possible," he said.

Philip Giudice, head of the state Department of Energy Resources, agreed. "The challenge has been where can Massachusetts get its renewable energy? And there has been a question of how far away are we going to have to go to get it," Giudice said. The study, he added, shows the state will be able to hold its own.

"It sort of flies in the faces of the folks who said, 'Gee, that's great for Massachusetts, but you're going to have to go to Canada to get all that stuff,' " Giudice said.

Seth Kaplan of the Conservation Law Foundation, an environmental advocacy organization, said he was heartened by the study, but cautioned that building renewable energy capabilities is only one step.

Erin Ailworth can be reached at eailworth@globe.com.