Current News:

BEACON HILL BEAT
JULY 2008

LEGISLATURE APPROVES $28.2 BILLION FY 2009 STATE BUDGET

The Massachusetts legislature passed a $28 Billion FY 2009 state budget, which includes $20 Million for the Commonwealth Sewer Rate Relief Fund. UCANE was at the forefront of advocating for this funding. The House recommended $20 Million, the Senate $10 Million, and the Governor proposed $15 Million. Senator Anthony Petruccelli (D-Boston) led the effort in the Senate (which was rejected during the Senate budget negotiations) and then spearheaded a letter to the House-Senate Conference Committee requesting the $20 Million level, which was co-signed by 15 Senators.

The Commonwealth Sewer Rate Relief Fund is a tremendous tool for assisting municipalities throughout the state in stabilizing water and sewer rates while providing the means to undertake necessary drinking water and wastewater projects. By allowing municipalities and sewer districts to stabilize rates and undertake necessary projects, Rate Relief provides valuable financial relief during a time when costs for other essential items continue to rise. UCANE would like to thank the legislature for supporting this important program.

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GOVERNOR PATRICK SIGNS LANDMARK ENERGY LEGISLATION

Governor Patrick signed into law The Green Communities Act, a comprehensive energy reform bill that will put Massachusetts at the forefront of energy policy in the country. The legislation focuses on reducing the state’s dependency on fossil fuels and promotes the use of renewable energy such as wind and solar power. The legislation will require utilities to make significant investments in energy efficiency, allowing consumers with solar panels to sell electricity back to the grid at competitive rates, and initiates a program that will install solar panels on the roofs of hundreds of homes and businesses.

The Green Communities Act will focus on:
Lower Energy Costs - The state will make energy efficiency programs compete in the market with traditional energy supply. Utility companies, such as NSTAR, National Grid, and Western Mass. Electric will be required to install energy efficiency improvements that cost less than it does to generate power, ultimately saving money on consumers’ electric bills.

Promoting Renewable Energy - The law requires utility companies to enter into 10 to 15 year contracts with renewable energy developers to help them obtain financing to build projects. The agreements will target Massachusetts based projects. The law also makes it possible for people who own wind turbines and solar-generated power to sell their excess electricity to the grid at lower rates, for installations of up to 2 megawatts.

Making State and Municipal Power Greener - A new Green Communities program comes into effect under the new law, offering benefits to municipalities that make a commitment to efficiency and renewable energy. The state Division of Energy Resources has joined the Department of Energy Resources, and includes a Green Communities Division to provide technical and financial assistance to municipalities for energy efficiency and renewable energy efforts. The program will receive $10 million from a variety of sources, including emissions allowance trading programs, utility efficiency charges, alternative compliance payments generated by the Renewable Portfolio Standard, and the Renewable Energy Trust Fund.

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MA RANKS 3rd IN NATIONAL BRIDGE INVENTORY SURVEY ON STATE-BY-STATE BRIDGE NEEDS

In a national survey conducted by the National Bridge Inventory and analyzed by MSNBC, Massachusetts ranks third in bridges that were classified as either structurally unsafe or obsolete. The study found that 25% of the bridges in the nation need repair, and in Massachusetts 532 of the 4,936 bridges in the state are structurally deficient and 1,982 are functionally obsolete.

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