Mass. Legislature sends clean energy accord to Healey

After months of delay, the Massachusetts Legislature sent a major clean energy bill to Gov. Maura Healey's desk amid shifting national energy policy dynamics.

The House voted 125-17 to approve the 139-page House-Senate compromise bill (S 2967), and both chambers took final procedural votes to send it to the governor for her signature, amendment or veto. Healey has been urging lawmakers to complete work on the bill.

The Senate approved the bill in October, when Democrats struck a deal with Republicans to allow them to cast recorded votes for and against it, even during the stretch of informal sessions when roll call votes are usually not allowed.

Since then, U.S. voters elected Donald Trump who is likely to try to boost fossil fuel energy production when his second term launches in January, and has also sworn to target the offshore wind industry and "make sure that that ends on day one."

The bill would reform the state's siting and permitting laws for clean energy resources, and also push the state toward a stronger embrace of electric vehicles, make more families eligible for discounted utility rates, and eyes fusion as a possible renewable energy source. One high-profile provision would allow the Department of Energy Resources to coordinate with one or more New England state to solicit long-term clean energy generation, including from nuclear power.

"These investments include $200 million to the Offshore Wind Industry Investment Fund, $200 million to the Clean Energy Investment Fund, and the establishment of a new climate tech tax credit with a $35 million annual cap," said Rep. Jeff Roy, the primary House negotiator of the bill, said on the House floor. "Now, in light of recent events, these two bills have taken on a new gravity. It is at the state level that we must continue to push forward the necessary clean energy policy to fight the negative effects of the climate crisis."

Massachusetts Democrats have thrown their full weight behind bolstering the offshore wind industry, but the legislation has splintered the Republican caucus in the Legislature.

During their October session, Senate Republicans cast their votes 2-2, with Sens. Bruce Tarr and Patrick O'Connor voting with Democrats in favor of the bill, and Sens. Ryan Fattman and Peter Durant casting dissenting votes.

Democrats powered the bill to passage in the House Thursday, but there was uncertainty around fault lines in the House Republican caucus, which for the most part has gone along over the years with the policy push favoring clean energy.

The bill drew support from four Republican representatives, and opposition from 17.

Voting against the bill were Reps. Paul Frost of Auburn, Jay Barrows of Mansfield, Donald Berthiaume of Spencer, Nick Boldyga of Southwick, David DeCoste of Norwell, Steven Howitt of Seekonk, John Marsi of Dudley, Joseph McKenna of Sutton, David Muradian of Grafton, Mathew Muratore of Plymouth, Norman Orrall of Lakeville, Kelly Pease of Westfield, Michael Soter of Bellingham, Alyson Sullivan-Almeida of Abington, Marcus Vaughn of Wrentham, David Vieira of Falmouth and Steven Xiarhos of Barnstable.

Four Republican lawmakers voted for the bill, according to the roll call - Reps. Brad Jones, Kim Ferguson, Hannah Kane and Donald Wong. Jones leads the caucus, and recently publicly clashed with House Speaker Ron Mariano over this climate bill.

A Mariano spokesperson last month said that House Republicans had delayed the clean energy bill vote in a way that was "consistent with the national GOP playbook that includes denying climate change and opposing all efforts to transition away from fossil fuels."

Jones responded by saying that he had consistently supported climate change legislation -- which he again voted for on Thursday.

"If they want to take a look at that, I would gently suggest that the spokesperson from the speaker's office go back and look at who has been the conferee on climate for the last several bills, going back, 2016, '18, '20," Jones said at the time. "Who's signed 'em, and who's voted for 'em. A modicum of research would undercut any veracity to that argument whatsoever."

Though no Republicans spoke about the clean energy bill on the floor on Thursday, Boldyga posted his thoughts about the bill online before casting his dissenting vote. He tweeted Wednesday that "every lawmaker concerned about our oceans, our whales, and our fishing industry should vote against this bill."

A Boldyga tweet from Thursday morning reads: "I'm headed to the State House, and I'll be voting NO on two OMNIBUS bondoggle bills being rammed through the Massachusetts House during a special formal session (because the super-majority of Democrats are so inept they couldn't get it done in July)… 2. Yet another "climate change" bill, which includes more crippling mandates that will inevitably drive your energy costs up even further. This just after the 30% increase in Natural Gas prices this month that were directly correlated to these very policies(per the supplier)!"