Massachusetts State Senator
One takeaway from the boat ride to see construction of Vineyard Wind 1, the first major offshore wind farm in the country, is that determination and follow-through are the name of the game. We’re gaining ground and making genuine progress.
Roughly 30% of emissions in Massachusetts comes from heating our buildings. Reliance on natural gas for this purpose remains one of the toughest hurdles to overcome. One of many proposals before the Legislature is a bill to put a hold on new gas lines entirely. I recently chaired a hearing on that idea, among others.
Lexington, a town I represent, is asking a tough question: How do we move toward a zero-waste future? One of the steps we can take is updating the 40-year-old bottle bill — raising the deposit from five cents and expanding the number of containers eligible for deposit — to achieve higher rates of returns. Legislation to accomplish this is pending before the Energy Committee, of which I’m Senate Chair. I’m pushing hard for passage.
Mass Save — the state’s biggest program to reduce carbon emissions in buildings — has no visible leadership. Current law calls for no CEO, no board of directors — no one accountable to the Legislature and the public. I have a bill to reorganize Mass Save in order to achieve better outcomes for ratepayers. Energy utilities will still have a seat at the table, but not at the head of the table. Here, I’m chairing a hearing where the bill was debated.
To my mind, this excellent report underscores a big-picture truth: Massachusetts needs a plan to attract move-ins, from other states and even from abroad. When you place the workforce needs documented so effectively here alongside the findings of other studies concerning labor shortages in healthcare, home care, and early childhood education, it’s hard to draw any other conclusion. We need to attract a slew of workers to fill jobs, and I don’t see how we meet our greenhouse gas reduction limits otherwise.
Reducing carbon emissions in buildings is a tough nut to crack. At a marathon hearing, Sen. Pacheco and I heard about topics ranging from embodied carbon — the carbon footprint of a material through its whole lifecycle — to networked geothermal — connected systems of ground-source heat pumps.
Congrats to the girls’ lacrosse team from Lincoln-Sudbury High, this year’s Division I state champs!
The boys track and field team at Lexington High School just won the Division I state title. Here they are with the gov, who bonded with them over her own athletic accomplishments. I wish I could take some credit for their win, but I just wanted to bask in their glory. Congrats guys!
Appreciated being named Legislator of the Year by The Arc of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council. Last year, with the help of tireless proponents, we achieved a number of wins, including my proposal to create a first-of-its kind commission to study the history of state institutions for those with disabilities. After the awards event, advocates fanned out around the State House to talk to legislators. There’s more work to do.
Ms. G, goodwill ambassador for rodents everywhere in her capacity as official Groundhog of the Commonwealth, gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up this morning to Governor Maura Healey on the occasion of Groundhog Day. Kudos to Mass Audubon for hosting. According to Gov. Healey, Ms. G did not see her shadow, so we’re in store for an early spring.