Mass. House approves bill to curb greenhouse gases
BOSTON—Massachusetts House lawmakers raced to approve a pair of bills designed to help slow global warming and increase the number of so-called "green jobs" in the state.
Approval of the two bills came on the second to last day of the Legislature's formal session and follows the recent passage of bills designed to increase the use of biofuels and require the state to boost its reliance on renewable energy sources.
The global warming bill would require the state by the year 2020 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Massachusetts to 20 percent below 1990 levels. By 2050, the goal is to have emissions drop 80 percent below 1990 levels.
Environmentalists applauded the initiative.
"This bill ... shows that Massachusetts is committed to making our state the hub of clean energy and global warming solutions," said Ben Wright of the group Environment Massachusetts.
The business community took a dimmer view, pointing out that Massachusetts contributes only a tiny fraction to the global warming crisis, while the bill could create real financial hardships.
"The greenhouse gas reductions goals laid out in this bill are exceedingly aggressive, perhaps to the point of being unattainable and could only be achieved through greatly increased costs for consumers and for employers," said Brian Gilmore, of the Associated Industries of Massachusetts, which represents 7,000 Bay State employers.
The bill has already passed the Senate.
One of the measure's chief advocates, Sen. Senator Marc Pacheco, D-Taunton, said the state must do its part to combat global warming, or face the consequences -- from rising sea levels to more intense storms.
"If global warming and climate change continue to remain unchecked in the commonwealth, the cost of inaction will be in the billions," Pacheco said.
Also Wednesday, the House passed a second bill designed to make Massachusetts a leader in the creation of environmentally friendly jobs.
The bill would provide funding to encourage green startup companies in Massachusetts and offer grants to help train workers for jobs in the green economy.
House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi sponsored the bill, which would funnel $13 million a year over the next five years into a new Massachusetts Clean Energy Technology Center to promote and develop the clean energy sector.
The center would also develop a statewide plan for installation and operation of renewable energy generating facilities on state-owned property.
The bill "will not only bolster our efforts to change the way we consume, produce and deliver energy in the Commonwealth but also grow jobs and provide new opportunities for our work force," DiMasi said.
The bill relies on existing revenues, including $43 million from the Massachusetts Alternative and Clean Energy Investment Trust Fund and $5 million from the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust Fund.
The bill heads to the Senate.
The Legislature has passed other green-friendly bills this session.
On Monday, Gov. Deval Patrick signed a law encouraging the growth of an advanced biofuels industry in Massachusetts.
Patrick signed another bill to require utilities and other electricity suppliers in Massachusetts to buy an increasing percentage of their energy from renewable sources -- from 4 percent in 2009 to 25 percent in 2030.
Those renewable sources include wind turbines, solar panels and biomass generators.
