Massachusetts Climate Protection Plan

Presentation to the Electric Restructuring Roundtable

Sonia HamelMassachusetts Office for Commonwealth Development

May 21, 2004

Massachusetts Climate Protection Plan Announced on May 6th

Governor Romney released this plan of tough targets and 72 measures saying: Our administration has embarked on a “no

regrets” policy “These are actions we can and must take

now; if we are to have “no regrets” when we transfer our temporary stewardship of this earth to the next generation.” Gov. Mitt Romney

Climate Protection Actions are Needed

Stronger indications that a blanket of heat trapping gases is resulting in impacts to the climate

• Glacial melting, forest fires, more severe storm patterns and heavy rainfall events, and then periods of drought.

• Global temperatures are up 0.7 – 1.4 degrees F, New England coastal areas are showing an average increase of 1.9 degrees

• The 5 warmest years on record are, starting with the hottest, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2001, and 1997 (the 10 hottest years ever recorded all occurred since 1990).

The residence time of CO2 is about 100 years. Pollution released today continues to warm for a century and is additive.

What Difference Could the State and the Region Make?

MA state-wide emissions are comparable to the total emissions of whole countries (i.e. Portugal, Egypt, Austria, or Greece).

If the New England/ Eastern CA Region was classified as a country, it would be the 12th largest emitter of GHG in the world.

With NY and NJ = 5th largest.

Choose Actions that are Best for our Economy and

Environment

Why is this sound stewardship for MA without national action? We can be:

• Improving our regional economy (reducing the dollars sent out of the region for energy),

• Boosting public health and regional environmental quality,

• Seek higher efficiency in the generation, transport, and the use of energy (and its resulting cost savings),

• Take advantage of the states strengths, thereby enhancing them,

• Recognize good actors and reward action and innovation.

Implementing a Regional Climate Change Agreement Massachusetts is a part of the New England

Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers Climate Action Plan adopted in 2001.

The Massachusetts plan affirms the regional work and seeks to help meet the regional targets of:

1990 levels by 2010 10% below by 2020 Reduce GHG emissions sufficiently to eliminate

any dangerous threat to climate; current science suggests this will require reductions by as much as 75-85% below current levels.

Climate Change as an organizing principle

Coordinates Climate Protection with our policies on:Housing TransportationCompact Land Use ForestryAgriculture Economic Development

Waste Technological innovation

Jobs Creation Air Quality (Smog, VOCs, NOx, Particulates, regional haze,

Acid Rain, Mercury)

Massachusetts Approach: Integrate Policies across

Programs

Power Plant Clean-up: 4 Pollutant Regulation

Green Restructuring: Renewable Portfolio Standards Renewable Trust Fund Efficiency Funds New Power Plant Siting Rules for Clean Plants Emissions Disclosure

New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers Climate Action Plan

Midwest Power Plant Clean Up Advocacy

Organizing the Plan To reach the goals, there are a number

of areas in which we need to work: Lead by example in State Government Partnerships with Municipalities, Universities and

Businesses and Institutions Registry Energy:

Modernize existing plants and transmission systems Efficiency and Renewables

Transportation: Technology and Better Planned Communities and their Transport Systems

Lead by Example Group of state agency staff going through the process of

surveying best practices that save energy, benchmarking them and encouraging their widespread distribution.

Goal 25% reduction in CO2 by 2012 from state facilities Educate employees to look for opportunities for improved energy

conservation of all kinds Work to improve energy efficiency in state facilities $17 Million renewable energy purchase for state buildings Manual of suggestions and tools published with the plan (instruction book

for the agencies) Green building requirements for new state buildings Incorporate longer-range energy savings into state purchasing decisions

(from 3-10 years) Develop and Maintain a State Greenhouse Gas Inventory: “manage what

you measure” Acquire Clean, Fuel-Efficient Vehicles for the State Fleet, (new A&F policy)

“NO SUV Policy”

Climate Protection Partnerships

Cities and Towns: Program to work with communities to establish targets for local reduction and benchmarks for progress. (currently 20 on-board), Green Schools Initiative

College and University Challenge Business Leaders Challenge

Business, Industry and Institutions as Climate

Protection Partners

Implement 4-Pollutant regulations for older power plants (NOx, SOx, Hg and CO2)

Promote Distributed Generation, Combined Heat and Power and Renewable Energy

Enhance Pollution Reporting to include CO2 Methane recapture (stop paying for lost gas) Create an Emissions Bank & Trading Program Provide technical assistance

Registry

Work with the other states to create a framework for future market-oriented and/or regulatory responses to global warming through a regional global warming emission registry.

States involved include: CA, OR, WA, NC, NY, NJ, RI, CT, ME, VT, NH and WI.

Looking for a harmonized program with international standards.

Common data base and approaches.

Energy

Focus on: RGGI Process: Carbon cap and trade (& 4P

regs.) Expanding renewable energy sources and

ensuring that evolving markets do not discriminate against renewable energy.

Reducing energy use from cost-saving conservation programs

Adopt appliance efficiency standards Meet the Renewable Portfolio Standard

established in Energy Restructuring

Transportation

Transport is the largest growth area for CO2 and will need attention. We propose to:

Require Reporting of CO2 emissions whenever the state does large projects

Develop mechanisms to promote cleaner and more efficient vehicle choices and systems (i.e. transit, rail freight, and more efficient use of aviation)

Require clean diesel equipment on increasing number of state construction projects

Continue to follow CA Clean Car program which provides incentives for hybrid and alternatively fueled vehicles

Longer-Term Transportation Approach

Land use development that leads to more efficient travel, better transit and reduced vehicle miles of travel

Transportation System Commonwealth Capital Program Smart Growth Expanded transit system, 20 sites of transit-

oriented development Vastly improved vehicle efficiency through

hybrids, other technologies Shift to renewable fuels

For more on the Massachusetts Climate

Protection Plan“The challenge is two fold: we must

acknowledge and repair the damage we have already caused, and we must change our policies and actions to minimize future damage.”

Douglas Foy, Secretary of Commonwealth Development

The plan is at www.mass.gov/ocd