Meeting Recap: February 6th Energy & Environment Advisory Committee Meeting
February 18, 2025
The Energy & Environment (E&E) Advisory Committee met on February 6, 2025, to discuss the draft 2025-2026 policy agenda that frames the workplan for our E&E Unit. The E&E Unit’s 2024 accomplishments were also discussed.
The E&E policy agenda is reviewed and updated at the start of every two-year legislative session. The 2025-2026 E&E policy agenda pushes for equitable climate policies across mitigation, adaptation, energy, and climate funding, as well as for aligned and coordinated approaches to such policies across jurisdictions and at a regional scale. It has 4 major goals:
Goal 1: Mitigate the Progression of Climate Change & Scale Up Decarbonization of the Built Environment focused on continued advocacy to promote and advance the decarbonization of buildings to support the City and State in meeting their statutory climate goals, and a continued partnership with the City of Boston’s PowerCorpsBOS Building Operations program that provides pathways into large building operations in member and partner buildings.
Goal 2: Adapt to the Effects Of Climate Change & Promote Critical Infrastructure and community Resilience focused on promoting adaptation policies across federal, state, and city levels with a focus on critical infrastructure and community resilience, supporting the implementation of community-based heat resilience solutions, and tracking the implementation of nature-based solutions.
Goal 3: Promote the Decarbonization, Reliability, And Resilience Of Our Energy Supply focused on supporting ongoing efforts to accelerate the equitable, reliable, and affordable decarbonization and resilience of Massachusetts’ energy supply, and supporting energy transformation at the city, regional, and state levels.
Goal 4: Support the Development and Expansion of Equitable Climate Funding And Financing Opportunities focused on supporting the expansion of public and private financing for the Massachusetts Climate Bank, and promoting the development and implementation of equitable decarbonization and adaptation funding and financing opportunities.
Some of the advisors’ comments under Goal 1 included a discussion on the current challenges with Power Purchase Agreement development, and on the role of climatetech in our work. Under Goal 2, comments included focusing on changing regulations that are currently stalling development projects due to current policy limitations, and encouragement to advocate for a state Commission on Resilient Permitting, parallel to the Clean Energy Siting and Permitting Commission. Under Goal 3, the discussion centered around energy innovation and setting up forums for knowledge sharing for energy decarbonization, especially for hard to decarbonize sectors and building types. Finally, under Goal 4, there was a suggestion to convene a Statewide Financing Climate Change Task Force to mimic the successful Transportation Finance Task Force.
For any questions and comments, please contact Yve Torrie and Isabella Gambill.
