News Clips

Watchdogs on alert ahead of climate law implementation

senmikeb
WWLP

“I want to emphasize the Senate’s interest in following through with implementation of the 2021 climate act. The Senate as a body has a lot invested here,” Barrett said, adding that even though the law was a result of legislative and executive branch collaboration, “small gaps” remain between how the Senate would like to see the law implemented and the Baker administration’s perspective.

The law Baker signed in March after months of stops and starts commits Massachusetts to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, establishes interim emissions goals between now and the middle of the century, adopts energy efficiency standards for appliances, authorizes another 2,400 megawatts of offshore wind power and addresses needs in environmental justice communities.

Read More —>

Sen. Mike Barrett Shares FY22 Senate Budget with Funding for Bedford High School & Support for Environmental Initiative Staff

senmikeb
The Bedford Citizen

Of local interest, Mike Barrett, Bedford’s State Senator, secured funding to mitigate the costs Bedford incurs for educating children of families living on Hanscom Air Force Base.  More than one hundred Hanscom Air Force Base students attend high school at local expense.  The town has opened its doors to these children for more than fifty years through an agreement with the Department of Defense.

“Town officials have stressed the importance of the funding,” said Barrett.  “I’m pleased we were able to come through.”

Read More —>

Should Massachusetts Keep The Film Tax Credit?

senmikeb
WGBH

Massachusetts has had a generous film tax credit in place since 2006 to lure film and television productions — and the jobs they generate — to the state, but some elected leaders have long questioned the wisdom of the policy, which also provides generous benefits to wealthy people tied to such projects who don’t always live in Massachusetts. State Senator Michael Barrett and Chris O’Donnell, a business manager from the union representing New England film and TV workers joined Jim Braude to debate the tax credit, which is also being debate on Beacon Hill.

Read More —>

State Sen. Mike Barrett adds funds for Waltham groups, climate staff

senmikeb
Waltham Tribune

The Massachusetts Senate has voted to approve its version of the state budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1 and state Sen. Mike Barrett authored successful amendments for initiatives aimed at supporting young people and low-income residents of Waltham.

The Senate plan preserves and expands access to essential funding, including public health initiatives, at a time when the state continues to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

Read More —>

Massachusetts Passes New Bill Aimed at Tackling Greenhouse Gas Emissions

senmikeb
Cheddar News

The state of Massachusetts has just put into place one of the strongest climate laws in the country. The bill, which passed with bipartisan support, contains a number of new ideas as the state looks to lead on this important issue. Massachusetts State Senator and author of this bill, Michael Barrett, joined Cheddar to discuss.

Read More —>

OPINION: Next steps crucial on Massachusetts’ new climate law

senmikeb
Lexington Minuteman

The administration needs to get with the program quickly. “Next-Gen” sets a number of deadlines:

• On July 1, Gov. Baker will have three new vacancies to fill — green building experts, all — on a reconstituted Board of Building Regulation and Standards, a low-profile entity with enormous sway over energy use in new construction.

• By July 15, 2021, the administration must set a first-ever greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal for Mass Save, the popular home energy efficiency program.

• No later than July 1, 2022, the administration must adopt emissions limits and sublimits for the year 2025, together with a “comprehensive, clear and specific” plan for operating within them.

• By 21 months from now, the administration must develop and promulgate a new “municipal opt-in specialized stretch energy code” that includes “net zero building performance standards” and a definition of “net zero building.”

Read More Here —>

OPINION: Next steps on Massachusetts’ new climate law

senmikeb
Concord Journal

It’s no secret the governor vetoed an earlier version of the climate bill on the prodding of builders and developers. Taking note of the increasing urgency of global warming, we responded to the pushback by doubling down on net zero in the version of the bill that became law.

My constituents have been instrumental in seeing to it that Massachusetts passed the most ambitious climate bill in the country, which is cause for celebration. Now we need to make sure it gets implemented well.

Read More Here —>

Old data slows climate change efforts

senmikeb
Gloucester Daily Times

Sen. Mike Barrett, D-Lexington, a co-chair of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy, who co-authored the bill, says up-to-date data is crucial for the plan to succeed.

“We’re taking note of the incredible lag time that has been involved in reporting back to the Legislature on whether we are curbing emissions,” Barrett said during a recent Joint Way and Means Committee hearing. “We need to provide that data in a much more time-relevant way than has been the case.”

Barrett said the new climate law requires the state Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs to provide lawmakers with an update on emissions levels every 18 months “so that we’re not looking at 2017 numbers in 2021.”

Read More Here —>

After passing a landmark climate law, Mass. officials now face the hard part: how to wean the state off fossil fuels

senmikeb
Boston Globe

The presentation suggested natural gas was in for the “fight of its life.” Slides urged that “everyone needs to contact legislators in favor of” the fossil fuel and warned “Anti-Gas Pressure Continues to Grow.” Another slide suggested the industry should “take advantage of power outage fear.”

The slide that most concerned them was one that said Eversource supported a “consortium to combat electrification,” suggesting the company and others in the industry sought to blunt the move toward renewable energy.

“This is a smoking gun for someone like me,” said state Senator Michael Barrett, a Lexington Democrat and one of the climate bill’s lead negotiators. “This is distressing, explosive stuff. I worry this represents the real sentiments of Eversource.”

Read More Here —>

Op-ed: Next Steps On MA’s New Climate Law

senmikeb
Patch.com

The bill signing for the Act Creating a Next-Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Policy took place in the Library of the State House, otherwise empty due to the pandemic.

“I have heard words used to describe this piece of legislation, words such as sweeping, landmark, far-reaching, ambitious, bold and nation-leading,” Senate President Karen Spilka said. “I believe it is all of these things.”

Well put. We’re the first state to keep attention riveted on climate by setting emissions limits every five years instead of every ten. The first state to mandate emissions sublimits on the most important sources of greenhouse gases — transportation, buildings, and electric power. The first state to overhaul the charter of its electric power and natural gas regulator to include, alongside price and system reliability, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

Read More Here —>