The No Biomass campaign successfully stalled momentum on the Springfield biomass plant. Follow the No Biomass campaign
Palmer Renewable Energy lost both the land and air permits for their proposed biomass plant in Springfield! They are appealing the revocation of those permits in court; we are monitoring this and we do not expect them to succeed.
In the meantime, we are supporting two bills in the state legislature that would close funding pathways for polluting biomass energy systems!
Alert on Upcoming Hearings in June 2023
Now, we have a chance to finish the job and end subsidies for biomass in Massachusetts’ other clean energy programs! These bills build on the success of last year’s climate law which ended subsidies for wood-burning power plants in Massachusetts’ Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS).
Please sign up to testify and/or submit written comments in support of these bills:
- S.2136/H.3210 closes the loophole in the new greenhouse gas emissions standard for municipal lighting plants that counts biomass as “non-carbon emitting” energy
- S.2137/H.3211 ends subsidies for commercial-scale wood heating systems through Massachusetts’ alternative portfolio standard.
The Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy (TUE) Committee will hold hearings on these bills on Wednesday, June 28th at 10 am (House) and 1 pm (Senate).
- House hearing notice
- To testify, sign up here by 5 pm Monday, June 26th
- Email written comments to JointCommittee.Utilities&Energy@malegislature.gov
- Senate hearing notice
- To testify, sign up here by 11 am Wednesday, June 28th
- Email written comments to Lexi.Concannon@masenate.gov
More than 75 Massachusetts organizations have endorsed these bills, and the list is growing! To add your group to this letter, click here. For more information about the bills, go to the Legislative Campaigns page.
Click here for talking points on the bills.