BOSTON – Last week, Senator Sal DiDomenico (D-Everett) joined his colleagues in the Massachusetts Senate in unanimously passing S.2545, An Act to promote a clean energy future. This legislation represents a firm stand by the Senate to ensure a healthier, cleaner Commonwealth for future generations of Massachusetts residents. Most importantly, the policies enacted in this legislation will have measurable benefits in the health of the global environment.

This legislation is a forward looking plan that prepares Massachusetts for the inevitable obstacles that will come with climate change. The policies and programs will protect public health, increase the use of renewable energy, reduce greenhouse emissions, implement a price on carbon, and create jobs in the innovative green-energy economy.

“As a Commonwealth, we simply cannot delay any further action to prepare ourselves for and to fight against the impacts of global climate change,” said Senator DiDomenico, Assistant Majority Leader of the Massachusetts Senate. “I am very proud that my colleagues and I in the Senate have taken yet another step to protect our future generations, and to further enhance and diversify Massachusetts’ clean energy portfolio.”

“Future generations of Massachusetts residents depend on our actions today,” said Senate President Harriette L. Chandler (D-Worcester). “This legislation sets Massachusetts on a path towards an even cleaner energy portfolio and invests in the future of our children and their environment. I would like to thank Senators Pacheco, Barrett, and Chairwoman Spilka for their tremendous contributions to this bill, and to the rest of my members for their commitment to clean energy and climate preparedness.”

“The Senate has constantly taken major steps to move us forward in advancing our state’s energy policies and we have done so again with this bill,” said Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester). “The adoption of the bill reflects our desire to develop a diversified and renewable energy portfolio, strengthen the well-being of our citizens by controlling pollution, and supporting the needs of residential and commercial electric consumers, while paving the way for more jobs in a growing sector of the economy.”

The legislation raises renewable portfolio standards, lifts the cap on solar net metering, authorizes additional hydropower and offshore wind procurement, establishes market-based greenhouse-gas emission limits, and implements statewide energy storage goals.

Specific policy changes include:

• Increasing the percentage of Class I renewable energy that must be purchased by retail electric suppliers under the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard from an additional 1% annually to an additional 3% annually. 

• The legislation requires the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs to establish market-based compliance mechanisms to maximize the ability of the Commonwealth to achieve its greenhouse gas emission limits for: (i) the transportation sector not later than December 31, 2020; (ii) the commercial and industrial building sectors not later than December 31, 2021; and (iii) the residential building sector not later than December 31, 2022.

• Requiring the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs to adopt statewide greenhouse gas emissions limits for the years 2030 (35% and 45% below the 1990 emissions level) and 2040 (55% and 65% below the 1990 emissions level), and a plan to achieve those reductions.

• Requiring the 2030 emission limit to be adopted no later than 2021 and the 2040 emissions limit to be adopted not later than 2031. 

• Requiring the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs to issue a plan to achieve the 2050 emissions limit.

• Requiring the Department of Energy Resources to establish an energy storage system target program to achieve a statewide energy storage deployment target of 2,000 mega-watts by January 1, 2025. 

• Removing the net metering cap for non-governmental solar net metering facilities.

• Eliminating the current sunset date of December 31, 2020 for the regulations promulgated under the Global Warming Solutions Act.

• Creating a joint procurement taskforce consisting of the Department of Energy Resources, the Attorney General and representatives of the distribution companies, to conduct a review of the clean energy procurements.

• Allowing the Department of Energy Resources to recommend solicitations and procurements for more than 9,450,000 megawatts-hours of clean energy generation, and to recommend offshore wind energy generation solicitations and procurements of up to 5,000 megawatts of aggregate nameplate capacity by December 31, 2035.

The bill now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.

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BOSTON – The Housing Bond Bill passed by Senator Sal DiDomenico and his colleagues in the Legislature was recently signed into law by Governor Charlie Baker. The bill includes two of Senator DiDomenico’s major legislative priorities: expansion of the Community Investment Tax Credit (CITC) and reauthorization of the Early Education and Out of School Time (EEOST) Capital Fund. 

The CITC was created in 2012 by legislation sponsored by Senator DiDomenico. It offers a 50 percent credit to anyone who donates money to a community development corporation (CDC). CDCs are nonprofit, community based organizations focused on revitalizing the areas in which they are located by promoting and developing affordable housing, providing job training, and supporting local businesses, among other initiatives. The Senator filed a bill to extend and expand the CITC through 2025, which was included in the bond bill.

The EEOST Capital Fund provides loans and grants for the construction and renovation of early learning centers and out-of-school-time facilities serving low-income children in the Commonwealth. Senator DiDomenico was the original sponsor of legislation that created the Capital Fund in 2013. Under the bond bill, the EEOST Capital Fund has been reauthorized to 2023 at $45 million.

“I am thrilled that the EEOST Capital Fund and CITC expansion reauthorization were included in the Housing Bond Bill,” said Senator DiDomenico, Assistant Majority Leader of the Massachusetts Senate. “I have long supported these measures because they give communities the tools they need to make change locally to support community and economic development. I am confident that these provisions will help us support individuals and families across our Commonwealth and allow us to continue to make key housing investments and community development for years to come.”

The CITC expansion and EEOST Capital Fund are two key aspects of the Housing Bond Bill, which aims to increase affordable housing production, maintain affordability in existing housing, modernize and diversify public housing, and invest in innovative solutions for the Commonwealth’s growing demand for housing.

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BOSTON – Last week, Senator Sal DiDomenico (D-Everett) and his colleagues in the Massachusetts Senate voted to engross H.4539, An Act Relative to Firearms. The legislation, which was co-sponsored by Senator DiDomenico, allows a judge to order the immediate suspension and surrender of any license to carry firearms from an at-risk person when petitioned by that person’s family or household member. Such an order is called an extreme risk protection order (ERPO). The bill is also known as the ‘red flag’ or ‘ERPO’ bill.

The legislation supplements Massachusetts’ extensive common-sense gun control and public safety regulations which have led to the lowest rates of gun deaths in the nation. Additionally, the bill amends the statute regulating stun guns.

“This Extreme Risk Protective Order bill will provide us with the additional tools necessary to help prevent gun related tragedies and protect public safety,” said Senator Sal DiDomenico (D-Everett), Assistant Majority Leader of the Massachusetts Senate. “With today’s vote, Massachusetts is once again taking the steps needed to lead the nation with commonsense gun legislation that will undoubtedly help to save lives.  This bill is truly the culmination of the hard work and tireless advocacy of countless parents, students, public safety officials, and elected officials, and I would like to thank everyone who helped to make this day possible.”

 “This legislation provides a framework for removing dangerous weapons from people who may harm themselves or others. It will reduce the risk of suicide and murder, and will encourage distressed people to seek the mental health treatment that they may need. But perhaps most importantly, this bill gives family members the tools and confidence to help their loved ones in extremely tense and emotional situations. I am very happy that the Senate has approved this legislation to make Massachusetts an even safer place to live,” said Senate President Harriette L. Chandler (D-Worcester).

Similar laws already exist in five other states. As of this year, 32 ERPO bills were being considered by 19 states’ legislatures as well as Washington D.C.

The bill will now be reconciled with a version passed by the House of Representatives, before moving to the Governor for final approval.

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