Alert- please send email in support of H.3473, Rep. Goldstein-Rose’s Energy Jobs Bill

Please take five minutes to send an email in support of H.3473, Rep. Goldstein-Rose’s Energy Jobs Bill, which will be heard at the state house tomorrow (7/18) by the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies from 10:30 – 1 in Room A-2.

 
Also, please share this email with other groups and individuals around the state. 

We will have a contingent speaking in support of the bill also.

Copy and paste the text (see below) into a new document, customize it with your own words and then send an email to the two chairs at:
Eric.Lesser@masenate.gov
Joseph.Wagner@mahouse.gov

In the topic line of your email write:
Testimony in support of H.3473, An Act relative to creating jobs

In addition, it would be great to send two hard copies by snail mail to:
Senator Eric Lesser
Chair, Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies
State House
Boston, MA 02133

Representative Joseph Wagner
Same address  (they are co-chairs)

The text of the sample testimony is below and here.  Feel free to write on just one of the five points. It’s fine to make it short. Most important is that you paraphrase at least the first two paragraphs.

 
Thank you! Darcy, Adele, Jenny

************************************************************
 
Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies
July 18, 2017

Testimony in support of H.3473, An Act relative to creating jobs

Chairperson Lesser, Chairperson Wagner and Members of the Committee,

My name is ____________.  (Something personal about what you do or why you are concerned about climate change. Why the problem is so urgent). I request a favorable report on H.3473, An Act to relative to creating jobs.

H.3473 promotes a transition to 100% clean, renewable energy by strategically incentivizing research and development, commercialization and the manufacture of clean energy technologies in the Commonwealth. Its premise is that Massachusetts has resources to become the Silicon Valley of the New Energy Economy providing clean energy solutions not just for our communities but for the world.

H.3473 makes structural changes in five areas to open markets for companies to develop and deploy clean energy technologies stimulating investment, growth and new jobs.

1. H.3473 keeps money in-state through carbon pricing by:

        • pricing the carbon content of fuels so that we all pay the full cost of fossil fuels at the point of sale, rather than after the fact through taxes (to fund cleanup of oil
spills, storms, and other climate impacts, etc.) and through higher healthcare costs
(from poorer air quality)
        • giving every resident and employer a quarterly check, equal per person, paid for
by the carbon price proceeds, so that many households and businesses will end up
with more money overall, despite the higher energy sticker prices
        • creating several thousand jobs by displacing fossil fuel imports and returning money to MA residents and employers
        • reducing the amount of money MA sends out of state. (MA currently sends over $25 billion/year out of state to buy fossil fuels. The price and dividends would reduce that and keep money in-state.)

2. H.3473 potentially streamlines regulations regarding research, testing, and demonstration of  solar and wind energy technology in partnership with private enterprise. The bill instructs the Governor to review and potentially revise regulations that impede clean energy innovation. The bill also allows utility companies to build an unlimited amount of solar or wind with the proviso that they interconnect an equal amount of other solar and wind capacity in the same year. It also frees up the market by removing the arbitrary net metering caps.

3. H.3473 provides affordable capital for clean energy projects through a Clean Energy Trust. Increasing affordable financing strengthens Massachusetts solar industry, makes solar power and energy efficiency more accessible to moderate and low income families and business and accelerates development of emergent technology.

4. H.3473 invests in technology development, targeting energy storage solutions and tax incentives for clean energy companies. The largest, most critical and most immediate gap in successful transition to 100% clean, renewable energy is battery storage. Massachusetts has unparalleled university research facilities, a tradition of technological innovation and manufacturing expertise. The bill creates a Clean Energy Dividend fund that will seed investment to bring emergent technology to market.

In addition, the bill exempts Massachusetts companies that are entirely devoted to clean energy development or manufacturing from state taxes for the next five years

5. H.3473 provides additional infrastructure directing the Governor to integrate the efforts of all relevant offices to make recommendations for structural improvements. It aligns the levers of government with private enterprise and public interest to enable clean energy deployment and creating markets, eg. statewide car charging stations.

Climate Change must not be siloed as an energy issue or an environmental issue. It is an economic challenge that must be met. If a business does not invest in its future, it will perish. H.3472 invests in the new clean energy economy. It will create new jobs. And it is good for business in Massachusetts.
Thank you for your consideration of this request to give House Bill 3473 a favorable report.
Sincerely,

Your name
Your complete address