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
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.
******************************July 18, 2017
Testimony in support of H.3473, An Act relative to creating jobs
Chairperson Lesser, Chairperson Wagner and Members of the Committee,
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.
• 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.
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