Largest Clean Energy Convening of Local Chambers at MA Statehouse

Highlights of MA Local Chambers Legislative Briefing

More than three-dozen local chambers of commerce and member businesses met with legislators last month for the largest convening of local chambers at the Massachusetts Statehouse to discuss clean energy.

Rep. Thomas Golden, Jr. (D-Lowell) and Sen. Marc Pacheco (D-Taunton), two of the leading legislators on clean energy, briefed them on what to expect from the remainder of the 2017-2018 session, saying the goal is to build on last year’s work to ensure that Massachusetts remains a clean energy leader.

Among the measures they said the legislature plans to consider supporting:

• An increase in the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) to ensure more renewable energy and more clean energy investment and jobs in Massachusetts.

• Increase the caps on solar net metering to allow more businesses and residents who own solar panels to be compensated for providing their excess energy back to the electrical grid. The legislators stated that an increase in the caps will help generate more solar power in the Bay State. See Net Metering explained.

• Energy storage technology, which allows for wind and solar energy to be captured when available and saved for use when needed.

• Increases in energy efficiency statewide.

Offshore wind, they also noted, has strong support since turbines are now placed at off shore distances largely invisible to the naked eye. Several chambers and businesses are eyeing the economic benefits from expected boosts in production and distribution of offshore wind technology in the state.

We also heard that states all along the eastern seaboard and beyond are competing to be the home of the new offshore wind industry. Many legislators want Massachusetts to be the nation’s center for this new industry.

The legislature wants to hear from chambers. Rep. Golden and Sen. Pacheco also said that the Massachusetts legislature wants to hear from local chamber leaders to better understand their members’ experience with clean energy policies and programs—adding that they depend on this to ensure clean energy growth continues.

Co-hosts of the event included the Massachusetts Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, the SouthCoast Chamber of Commerce (formerly the New Bedford Chamber), the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, the Cape Cod Canal Region Chamber of and Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy (CICE).

Stay tuned for details!  CICE will continue to update you on important clean energy discussions with briefing calls, in-person sessions, and more throughout the year. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if your chamber or member businesses would like more information or would like to get more involved in clean energy discussions.

Check out photos from the event here. Credit: “Photography by Sergio Dabdoub: badmonkeypics@outlook.com”.  

Clean Energy: A Hot Topic at Annual Ohio Chamber Conference

“Igniting Chambers for the Future” was the theme of the meeting of Chamber of Commerce Executives of Ohio last month—and clean energy was one hot topic.

Sen. Portman’s Office kicked off the lunchtime speakers by talking about the economic benefits of energy efficiency and the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act.

“This bill helps give employers more tools to save money,” Sen. Portman’s General Counsel Stephen White told chamber leaders. “It incentivizes private sector ideas while making the U.S. government adopt energy-saving measures.”

Chamber leaders also demonstrated interest in state policies that support clean energy development. When asked in an informal survey if they agreed with Gov. Kasich’s recent comment that it is “unacceptable” for Ohio to maintain a freeze on renewable energy and energy efficiency standards, 90 percent of chamber leaders said yes.

Table-to-table speed-meeting sessions followed in which Van Wert Chamber CEO Susan Munroe shared the many ways that wind energy has benefited her community.

“Wind development brings $7 million in new tax revenue—100 percent of which stays in Van Wert,” Munroe said. “Wind development brings $2 million a year to our schools, and $4 million cash crop to local farmers.”

On day two, leaders gathered for a special Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy session to learn more about the economic opportunities of clean energy.

“Energy efficiency has an immediate return on investment,” said Nicole Stika, Senior Director Energy Services for the Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE). “As soon as you flip the switch, you see savings.” COSE, part of the Greater Cleveland Partnership, offers programs to help chambers and members save on energy upgrades and costs.