Massachusetts Lawmaker Warns Climate Targets Are Unlikely to Be Met as Bill Proposes Major Changes
State Representative Cusack told the Commonwealth Beacon, “We’re looking at the real possibility here, in the objective analysis, that we are not going to make our greenhouse reduction mandates. I have not found anyone who says that we are going to make our mandates.” Massachusetts currently aims to slash greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030, compared to 1990 levels.
However, Cusack’s proposed legislation would change how these targets are approached. Under the bill’s current language, climate targets would no longer be enforceable and instead be considered “advisory in nature.” The commonwealth would also be granted “immunity” if it fails to reach these emissions limits.
Changes to Energy Efficiency Program Funding
A critical component of Cusack’s bill involves capping the budget for the state’s energy efficiency program, Mass Save. The Department of Public Utilities approved Mass Save’s budget at around $4.5 billion in late February of this year. Cusack’s legislation would cap the budget at $4 billion and further reduce it by more than $300 million over three years, ending in 2027. This reduction would specifically target funds dedicated to marketing and advertising initiatives.
Delays in Offshore Wind Development Targets
The bill would also adjust Massachusetts’ timeline for offshore wind energy development. Current law requires the state to contract more than 5 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2027. Cusack’s legislation proposes delaying this deadline until 2029.
Defending the Bill: Challenges from Federal Policies and Rising Energy Costs
Cusack has stated that his intent is not to undermine the state’s climate goals but to reassess short-term mandates in order to lower energy bills and address the effects of federal policies. He mentioned the Trump administration’s opposition to renewable energy, such as its crackdown on offshore wind, the termination of funding for the Solar for All program, the withholding of electric vehicle infrastructure funds, and efforts to phase out clean energy tax credits. According to the bill, these actions threaten jobs, supply chain development, and emissions reduction goals in Massachusetts, while also adding regulatory risk and increasing costs for ratepayers.
“We want to get there, but if we’re going to miss our mandates, and it’s not the fault of ours, it’s incumbent on us not to get sued and not have the ratepayers be on the hook,” Cusack told the Commonwealth Beacon. He did not respond to requests for further comment from the Washington Examiner.
Response from Environmental and Climate Advocates
Cusack’s bill has received backing from many Democrats in the state House and was advanced out of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy on Wednesday. Despite this support, it has sparked backlash from environmental and climate advocacy groups who warn that the bill would threaten Massachusetts’ clean energy progress. Critics say that funding cuts to Mass Save could ultimately increase energy bills.
In 2024, Mass Save program directors estimated that it generated around $2.8 billion in total benefits for participants, including over 1 million megawatt-hours in electric savings.
Amy Boyd Rabin, vice president of policy for the Environmental League of Massachusetts, told Canary Media, “We want good energy-affordability legislation. This is not that. The claim that climate policies are the thing making prices rise is just not based in fact.”
Next Steps for the Legislation
Cusack aims to bring the bill to a vote in the Massachusetts House by November 19, when lawmakers break for the year. From there, it would need to pass in the state Senate before heading to the governor’s desk. The bill is expected to face challenges, as many legislators have previously supported the very measures the legislation seeks to revise.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/3887443/massachusetts-weighs-democrat-mark-cusack-backed-bill-scale-back-climate-goals/