In the final hours of the 2017-2018 legislative session, the Massachusetts House and Senate approved a clean energy bill that will result in as much as 35 percent of the state’s electricity coming from new wind, solar, and other renewable sources by 2030. According to the Cambridge-based Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), the bill will increase renewable energy procurement statewide and strengthen Massachusetts trailblazing offshore wind and energy efficiency initiatives.
The new clean energy legislation authorizes but does not require state officials to proceed with another 1,600 megawatt procurement by December 31, 2035. The provision is a strong signal that Massachusetts wants to be a big player in offshore wind. The legislation also encourages state officials to consider a different type of offshore wind procurement in the future. Instead of each developer building a separate transmission line to their own wind farm, the legislation urges consideration of building one transmission line to the area to serve multiple wind farms.