Energy + Environment

This week, Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull) voted with her colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives to pass legislation investing $1.3 billion to help cities and towns across Massachusetts to fund infrastructure projects aimed at fighting climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.  The legislation establishes a $1 billion, 10-year grant program – known as GreenWorks – to fund clean energy, energy efficiency, and climate change resiliency measures that cut greenhouse gas emissions, fortify infrastructure and reduce municipal costs. The legislation also invests $325 million in other municipal green projects.  “Ensuring that municipalities have access to funds for mitigation, adaptation, and resiliency is crucial as we combat climate change,” said Representative Meschino. “The investments GreenWorks makes in every town unlocks their potential to lead the way.” Modeled after the state’s MassWorks program, GreenWorks funds projects that improve climate preparedness and resiliency, promote or produce clean energy or energy efficiency, build . . . Read More

(BOSTON) – Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull) joined her colleagues last week to announce a new initiative to invest $1 billion over the next 10 years to help communities across Massachusetts adopt technologies – including clean energy, energy efficiency, and climate change resiliency measures – that cut greenhouse gas emissions, fortify infrastructure and reduce municipal costs. The proposal – known as GreenWorks – builds on a long-standing approach by the House of Representatives to provide concrete tools directly to communities with an immediate positive impact. “This long-term investment will help Massachusetts cities and towns build sustainable and resilient communities,” said Speaker DeLeo, (D – Winthrop).  “Not only will cities and towns have the ability to cut greenhouse gases and lower long-term energy and operating costs, but they will adopt Massachusetts-made innovative technologies and put people to work on cleantech infrastructure projects.” “Investing in community-based projects is critical to ensuring that mitigation, . . . Read More

(BOSTON) – The Massachusetts Legislature took another important step this session towards meeting its 2030 and 2050 carbon emission reduction goals by enacting a law promoting clean energy in the Commonwealth. An Act to advance clean energy was signed into law on August 9, 2018. The new law builds on last session’s work to diversify the Commonwealth’s energy generation sources with large-scale hydropower, offshore wind, and energy storage. “Clean energy generation or ‘greening the grid’ is important to build a clean energy future for Massachusetts,” said Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull). “Developing renewable energy technology in Massachusetts is healthier and safer, and will lead to new jobs and other economic opportunity, creating a prosperous and sustainable future for the Commonwealth.” The new law accomplishes four important goals.  First, the new law requires electricity utilities to purchase more electricity from renewable energy sources overtime.  The Massachusetts’ Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) will . . . Read More

(BOSTON) – On August 9, 2018, legislation authorizing $2.4 billion of investments in the environment, agriculture, and climate adaptation in the Commonwealth was signed into law. The Environmental Bond Bill funds local sea level rise and climate change resiliency and adaptation efforts, enhances environmental and natural resource protection, and invests in our parks and recreational assets. These investments will reach every corner of the Commonwealth, from coastal infrastructure to agricultural preservation. The Environmental Bond Bill positions Massachusetts to lead on coastal resilience, and to preserve our local community’s natural resources for generations to come. “Climate change and sea level rise mitigation and adaptation are critical to ensure a prosperous future for the Commonwealth, and safety for its residents,” said Representative Joan Meschino (D - Hull). “In coastal communities like Cohasset, Hingham, Hull, and North Scituate, the need for these kinds of investments is urgent. The legislature was able to meet that . . . Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 19, 2018  BOSTON – Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull) joined her colleagues in the House ofRepresentatives on Wednesday, June 13th to pass legislation authorizing spending onenvironmental programs. The bill, H.4599, also known as the Environmental Bond Bill,authorizes over a billion dollars in funding to protect against the impacts of climate change andconserve natural resources. The funding and policy proposed in this legislation will reach everycorner of the Commonwealth, from coastal infrastructure to agricultural preservation. The BondBill also invests in water and air quality protection, municipal vulnerability preparedness grants,and an electric vehicle incentive program. These are critical steps to making Massachusetts aleader in global climate change solutions, and to preserving our community’s natural assets forgenerations to come.“Climate change and sea level rise are urgent issues that my community faces,” saidRepresentative Meschino. “I was proud to collaborate with my colleagues to ensure that the statewill be able to allocate the necessary . . . Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  April 10, 2018 BOSTON – Today at the Massachusetts State House, Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull) joined her colleagues, Representatives Smitty Pignatelli (D-Lenox), Jonathan Hecht (D-Watertown), Solomon Goldstein-Rose (I-Amherst) and Jack Lewis (D-Framingham), to host an Electric Vehicle Ride and Drive. The day began with a morning briefing, which highlighted the benefits of electric vehicles, showcased the enormous advancements made in electric vehicle technology over recent years, and addressed the future of electric vehicles in the Commonwealth. The briefing brought in a diverse set of speakers, including Matthew Beaton, Secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs; Alli Gold Roberts, State Policy Director at Ceres; Basim Motiwala, Government Relations at Honda; and Karsten Barde, New Customer Offerings at National Grid. After the briefing, legislators, State House staff and media were invited to test drive a host of electric vehicles, including a BMWi3, a Nissan Leaf, a Chevy . . . Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  February 26, 2018 BOSTON - State Representative Joan Meschino joined 37 other legislators who weighed in last week on the allocation of $75 million that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is scheduled to receive from the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust Fund. Members urged the Department of Environmental Protection, which is charged with dispensing the money, to invest in electric vehicle charging infrastructure and invest the balance of the funds in fully-electric transit and school buses. The money will be received as part of a multi-state settlement with Volkswagen after it used a cheating computer system that ran emissions controls during testing but not during normal vehicle operation. Emissions from these vehicles were 15-40 times the federal Environmental Protection Agency compliance level. Volkswagen has agreed to spend nearly $15 billion on remedial action, including $2.9 billion that is being divided up among participating states and territories. “The Commonwealth must continue . . . Read More