Coalition/Partner

Amendment Number, Name, Sponsor & Link

Explanation

Mass Renews Alliance

#4 Building Environmental Justice and Energy Efficiency With Jobs, Senator Pacheco

This amendment brings the critical pieces of the Building Justice with Jobs bill.

Mass Renews Alliance

#64 Food Justice with Jobs, Senator Eldridge

MA EJ Legislative Table

#36: Air Quality Bill: Air monitoring and Air Pollution Targets, Sen. Jehlen 

This amendment includes the following components from the Air Quality Bill: air monitoring, requirement to establish baseline emissions, mandate to set air pollution reduction targets, and enforcement through filing a court case. 

MA EJ Legislative Table

#109 Equitable Siting in East Boston, Senator Edwards

Conservation Law Foundation

#33 Cost of Hydrogen, Senator Jehlen

The department of public utilities cannot approve a contract for the so-called “decarbonized gases” of hydrogen, renewable natural gas or any gas derived from hydrogen if it costs more than an average cost of fossil gas.

Mothers Out Front

#122 Methane Emissions Accounting, Sen Comerford

This amendment ensures a more accurate and consistent accounting of greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the use of methane.

Gas Leaks Allies

#67 Utility Scale Renewable Thermal Energy

 Changes the definition of a gas company to one that of a company that sells thermal energy, enabling gas utilities to do networked geothermal

Conservation Law Foundation

#137 DPU Gas Pipeline Proceedings, Sen Hinds

The Burning Question

#148: Expanding the MassSave program, Sen. Chandler

The Burning Question

#63: Expanding Electric New Construction, Sen. Eldridge

The Burning Question

The Burning Question

Requires all newly constructed, substantially remodeled or rehabilitated buildings to use electricity or thermal solar instead of fossil fuels, with some exceptions; allows municipalities to impose reasonable penalties for violations.

Raises the cap on renewable energy credits from 10kW to 25kW, allowing for the bigger arrays needed for electrified homes. There is probably an amendment somewhere that ups that to 60kW

 Removes the $1,000 cap on the Massachusetts ITC on solar

Environment Massachusetts

#7 Large Building Energy Reporting

#8 Large Building Energy Performance Standards

by Sen. Rausch

The Better Buildings amendments, filed by Sen. Becca Rausch, will help reduce pollution from Massachusetts’ largest buildings, such as offices, apartments, hospitals and university campuses. The owners of these buildings will be required to report their energy use to the state each year and meet minimum standards for energy efficiency, reducing their reliance on fossil fuels over time.

No Toxic Biomass & Partnership for Policy Integrity (PFPI)

We support the provisions removing renewable energy subsidies for woody biomass in the Omnibus Bill. (Note: This provision is already in the omnibus bill, we just need to let our representatives know we support this and would oppose amending it out.)

This is the first big step towards ending subsidies for woody biomass in MA’s two main renewable energy programs, the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) and the Alternate Portfolio Standard (APS).

Green and Healthy Schools

#128 Green and Healthy School Buildings, Senator Comerford

Assess and create a plan to renovate k-12 schools to improve energy efficiency, air quality, temperature and light control and more,  starting with the highest needs schools.

350 Mass Transportation Working Group

#13 Commuter Rail Electrification

The Senate bill as it stands is tilted towards private EVs and, when it comes to transit, towards buses. This amendment addresses that imbalance. Bus electrification is important, but commuter rail trains use more diesel than buses, and several lines pass through EJ neighborhoods, contributing to particulate pollution as well as Greenhouse Gas emissions. Moreover, an electrified regional rail with electric-multiple-unit trains would be able to provide better service, encouraging mode shift, which would not only reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions and particulate pollution but would also help with congestion. As the commuter rail has a significant reach beyond the immediate Boston area, electrifying it also reflects 350’s statewide priorities. 

350 Mass Transportation Working Group

#88 An Act to Promote Zero-Emission Vehicle Fleets by 2035

This takes language from the fleet electrification bill that 350 supported in its separate form. It covers a range of fleets (transit, municipal, private fleets used for public purposes, e.g., leased school busses) and sets a deadline of 2035 and interim target dates. This would be an improvement on the 2040 goal the current bill sets for MBTA bus electrification. Many of these vehicles operate in pollution-burdened communities, and it’s important that MA make and keep ambitious commitments on the public fleets they most directly control.