[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6147921,"mediaKeyId","5518673-9be29000137d1d9078cd9d42ad3de95b","parentId",5518673,"title","Supporters say offshore wind bills would boost reliability, jobs and consumer protection","audioSeconds",423,"startMs",414000,"endMs",837000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5518673-9be29000137d1d9078cd9d42ad3de95b&start=414&end=837","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5518673-9be29000137d1d9078cd9d42ad3de95b/thumbnail_414000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6147921/Massachusetts/Supporters-say-offshore-wind-bills-would-boost-reliability-jobs-and-consumer-protection","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6147921-4a83289210f5c59aad8016d1214297c7/orig.mp4?Expires=1775376448&Signature=SrHJ5dicAE051-AVAHw~y2R1La~COOQbK6VldOIrW6CFhv6eobSNp2vwTBgK9mEllj2~ztM4An33oz707TNSwC7cKaKy2loCasFWCWkBunNdLkyJ9HK1nvD~Y5tUqrs1LP7WULNhXoZoyXjlo7el8HoTZbddozzun9L7N5nZL5-vTrKG9UcJTj~keF~53R4dT9QOSWvm8pB61bpgSGrgwEYmok4sFgBM1AtSsHgW9NeDvxZF56lYGHoXhRCJcExpWtl82vbQiBe5Fldjy0kcb2QWk2z4UHEMjEyHMEvkOEBb5a~9bkJIpkN7hP6DrbHIIBYxFeNw8m7vQVJ2Pt3q7A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Massachusetts Legislature","date","2025-07-29T00:00:00Z","article","BOSTON — Supporters of several offshore wind bills told the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy on July 9 that the measures would strengthen Massachusetts’ clean‑energy transition, create jobs and protect consumers and wildlife. They urged the legislature to give favorable reports to bills including House Bill 3501 and Senate Bill 2279 and related measures addressing procurement, wildlife protections and community benefits.

The bills “support climate progress through sustainably developed offshore wind,” Casey Bowers, vice president of government relations for the Environmental League of Massachusetts, said in testimony. Amanda Barker, clean energy program manager at Green Energy Consumers Alliance, called offshore wind “Massachusetts’ most scalable clean energy resource” and said long‑term contracts would protect consumers from fossil‑fuel price spikes.

The bills would expand state procurement targets and add provisions that, supporters said, would require developers to offer workforce development commitments, registered apprenticeship participation and local hiring priorities. Ryan Murphy, executive director of Climate Jobs Massachusetts Action, urged attention to workforce standards so offshore projects produce “good paying union jobs” and long‑term operations and maintenance employment.

John Rogers, associate director for energy analytics at the Union of Concerned Scientists, highlighted reliability benefits. He summarized analysis indicating that 1,500 megawatts of offshore wind — roughly the capacity of Vineyard Wind plus Revolution Wind — would have reduced winter blackout risk, and that 8,000 megawatts would reduce the average number of high‑risk winter days from about 60 to two in the analyzed period.

Supporters also said properly sited offshore wind attracts port and manufacturing investment and reduces local air pollution. Joshua Litke of the Sierra Club and Dr. Tara Miller of the National Wildlife Federation said the bills include measures to protect wildlife, including advisory councils and monitoring requirements to minimize impacts on species such as the North Atlantic right whale.

Industry and trade witnesses urged complementary storage and interconnection reforms that would allow the grid to integrate wind and solar at scale. Kate Daniel of a community solar trade group and Kat Burnham of Advanced Energy United supported provisions to expand storage procurement and a 2035 solar deployment goal to give market clarity.

Opposition was not central to this panel, but members of the committee and later witnesses pressed proponents on details including labor timing, interconnection timelines and how the bills interact with the administration’s energy affordability package. Nathan Rake of Renew Northeast cautioned that some bill provisions risk duplicating or conflicting with regulatory work required by the 2024 Climate Act and the Energy Facilities Siting Board rules that are still being implemented.

The hearing produced no votes. Proponents asked the committee to advance the bills with language that preserves federal and state permitting authorities while ensuring community benefits and wildlife protections.

If the committee reports the bills favorably, supporters said, Massachusetts could signal continued state leadership for offshore wind while aligning investments with labor standards, wildlife monitoring, and measures to stabilize rates for residents.

Sources: testimony to the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy, July 9, 2025. Quotations and data points come from Casey Bowers (Environmental League of Massachusetts), Amanda Barker (Green Energy Consumers Alliance), John Rogers (Union of Concerned Scientists), Ryan Murphy (Climate Jobs Massachusetts Action), Joshua Litke (Sierra Club), and Dr. Tara Miller (National Wildlife Federation).","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy - 7-29-2025","oneSentenceSummary","Supporters of offshore wind told the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy on July 9 that legislation to expand procurement and add workforce, wildlife and community protections would improve grid reliability, create local jobs and shield ratepayers from fossil‑fuel price shocks.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MA, Massachusetts","taxId",77682,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6147904,"Proponents call for commission to study nuclear energy’s role in decarbonization",515,4957000,5472000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5518673-9be29000137d1d9078cd9d42ad3de95b&start=4957&end=5472","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5518673-9be29000137d1d9078cd9d42ad3de95b/thumbnail_4957000.jpg","/articles/6147904/Massachusetts/Proponents-call-for-commission-to-study-nuclear-energys-role-in-decarbonization","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6147904-9c757c7d80604801a73f542d32c7291e/orig.mp4?Expires=1775376448&Signature=RfQ5rtrp~ZvWovYMc47JLiVxKSRTp30GPxIJ7GwJ8C9b49hNiBHzKD8t8HPCXcXSK4AYdfV4FF2ioB7qzxdCFfBmv4xqV98HBw9Ths0e1yd-Tno~YgXcvk~uJO1HLDtHiOExFEmR9HrrH9pHJg7MyGfGCMKTlAARnt6xcDYEWPvj9w2XxC9nx3q4-K3MqGNXh4liVVv4kXyZAXx4t6VpbJnzifOQJdWmQOu3ZONcpJL3EfYox~FhnTdi-K1yHEAW0wJplOCl9Z-zdsTAgX2T06WVnzQ0Ly8hogb2pnH1i6kaN2EIbIZZc9NRwxuI9nztciJ93mb7S17uAq2F5re~2w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","BOSTON — Dozens of witnesses asked the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy on July 9 to create a balanced commission to study the potential role of nuclear energy in Massachusetts’ clean‑energy future.

Proponents described the bills — including H3512, H3569, H3571 and S2258 — as study measures, not near‑term construction mandates. David Butz, testifying as an individual and on behalf of an advocacy group, said an objective, expert commission would allow the Commonwealth to weigh nuclear’s potential benefits, including continuous low‑carbon generation and grid reliability.

Len Rodberg, professor emeritus of urban studies and research director at Nuclear New York, said his modeling work shows that dispatchable carbon‑free resources such as nuclear can reduce the overall cost and environmental damage of decarbonization compared with relying solely on variable renewables plus storage. Jim Leiden of the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company said municipal utilities that own interests in Seabrook Station and Millstone Unit 3 could contribute lessons from decades of operation.

Timothy McQuade, who testified as a resident, called for a research‑based approach to evaluate whether nuclear — including small modular reactors — could help meet emissions targets while maintaining affordability and reliability. Witnesses asked for commission membership that includes outside expertise, public representatives and municipal electric utilities.

Opponents at the hearing, including environmental and river advocates testifying on other bills, flagged radioactive waste, long development timelines and moral concerns about leaving hazardous waste for future generations. Committee members heard both perspectives and asked advocates to file written reports and modeling data for review.

No formal committee action was taken at the hearing. Proponents requested the committee report the study bills favorably so Massachusetts can assess whether nuclear should be part of a decarbonization strategy alongside renewables, storage and demand reductions.

Sources: testimony to the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy, July 9, 2025. Quotations and positions derive from David Butz (Econuclear Solutions), Len Rodberg (Nuclear New York), Jim Leiden (Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company) and Timothy McQuade (resident).","Several witnesses from advocacy groups, academic and municipal utility representatives urged the committee to create a commission to examine nuclear energy, including small modular reactors and existing plant roles, as part of a low‑carbon portfolio.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6147906,"River groups and scientists urge excluding pumped storage from statutory \"clean energy\" definition",556,5504000,6060000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5518673-9be29000137d1d9078cd9d42ad3de95b&start=5504&end=6060","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5518673-9be29000137d1d9078cd9d42ad3de95b/thumbnail_5504000.jpg","/articles/6147906/Massachusetts/River-groups-and-scientists-urge-excluding-pumped-storage-from-statutory-clean-energy-definition","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6147906-9bcd93e55a26b1fceb511921f69c1678/orig.mp4?Expires=1775376448&Signature=D2RU2M4po~UOulz30dRMUmrePcTLQlRFdzpKMIEElROp-vbtkNNEjfJGpTFlNpXt5Dp6oXjreKWcYiGIfDo5u3TTzVGd6txOgKfwpS5bsMw2nDA9ExP0K3DwuhyY3uhQnIc-oFk4q0Gs1SrtfQHkIMgr1AU~eE8TKQiSrGfpmoXJOcLL3G~3vAFDSfOQnryu4PjFHe1NHMZBKg07WWoBpU90X365F7nBlfVoEAWIHCmY6ezFlTTK-3U8mLXKuET~lsnVzlkylirnkhUQAsO~Js0lr178CiThT33OJsOLnTbbIPUfWDrvPq0s8emqXdyWHL33ifiZbGv9udRNMv3p-Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","BOSTON — Scientists, river‑conservancy staff and western Massachusetts residents urged the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy on July 9 to exclude existing pumped hydropower facilities from the state’s statutory definition of “clean energy.” They said inclusion would risk subsidizing projects that cause environmental harm and impose costs on ratepayers.

Eve Vogel, scholar of river and electric power system management at UMass Amherst, said the Commonwealth risks spending hundreds of millions of dollars to procure existing pumped‑storage hydropower. “Based on recent cost estimates from New York state, procuring this existing storage could cost ratepayers $750 million,” Vogel said. She recommended adding a clarifying “not” to the 2024 law so that existing storage would not be eligible for new procurement subsidies.

Nina Gordon Kirsch, Massachusetts River Steward for the Connecticut River Conservancy, and local residents described ecological impacts they attribute to pumped storage facilities such as Northfield Mountain and Bear Swamp, including abrupt daily flows that cause bank erosion and disrupt fish movement. They said those operations have harmed river ecosystems and should not receive the state’s clean‑energy designation, which can change regulatory review and access to ratepayer funds.

Witnesses emphasized that while pumped storage provides reliability benefits and participates in ISO market signals, the environmental tradeoffs and current market earnings argue against treating these existing facilities as newly eligible for state subsidies or reduced review. Several municipal and environmental witnesses asked the committee to advance Senate Bill 2237 to clarify the statute.

Committee members acknowledged the technical nature of the issue and asked for written cost estimates and environmental data. No votes were taken. Witnesses asked the committee to adopt a statutory change to prevent existing pumped storage from receiving additional state procurement funds or simplified regulatory treatment.

Sources: testimony to the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy, July 9, 2025. Quotations and figures from Eve Vogel (UMass Amherst), Nina Gordon Kirsch (Connecticut River Conservancy) and other western Massachusetts witnesses.","Witnesses supporting S2237 told the committee that existing pumped hydro facilities should not qualify for new state subsidies or streamlined treatment labeled as \"clean energy,\" citing riverine ecological damage and potential ratepayer costs.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6147911,"Students, developers and advocates press committee to prioritize battery storage and distributed procurement",1529,2366000,3895000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5518673-9be29000137d1d9078cd9d42ad3de95b&start=2366&end=3895","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5518673-9be29000137d1d9078cd9d42ad3de95b/thumbnail_2366000.jpg","/articles/6147911/Massachusetts/Students-developers-and-advocates-press-committee-to-prioritize-battery-storage-and-distributed-procurement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6147911-aa4d09a6ee772b84a7c562109b530eca/orig.mp4?Expires=1775376448&Signature=eDOMIsEBj9GrPdDbYG1J9jmjJg7jMSnr4eX1t20iwgpsKpnwCVcpcdJXjggvvIhgL1DrcrtI51xbcGnuAvdXLWMvTLpfCS2M7JI3bbnLkiHaq~RNka3PDcfBYO222rtBZF-LOBTd6GoPywEin1TJK~7X6XgeOn8I-ah07fBg~BcP960wBFe8-5Yc8lgbyIZBvKbrngG~ze~a3bXsol6wKZcCgN2IsgTAlG9XNFbvFcjOotjgAslhEvrMVP3oQ1TTKXsypyygaQTJW3ZTi-O8YxgxmQFiZRvDsj8w7pHGCC-WPpEkfQFNMFdl1wjPSkBQktQL~hoDoiJa8M3xZ2tCAA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","BOSTON — High school students, clean‑energy developers and industry groups told the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy on July 9 that Massachusetts should study and deploy battery storage at scale and create procurement pathways for distributed storage.

“Battery storage allows us to store excess electricity when generation is high and deliver it when it’s most needed,” Mariah Eskel, a North Andover high school student, told the committee in support of S2325, which would authorize a study led by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. Eskel and Groton High School student Sofia Flores Cuero said the study should include researchers, utilities and private‑sector partners.

Developers and storage advocates said distribution‑connected storage can produce outsized ratepayer savings by reducing peak demand and lowering transmission and capacity charges. Jessica Robertson of New Leaf Energy and Sean Burke of BlueWave described a retail‑level storage model that would dispatch and compensate resources for performance during peak hours, similar to how SMART credits work for solar.

Robertson said a retail storage program could better capture localized grid benefits than current wholesale‑market options and the state 83E procurement alone, and that utility exclusion of distribution storage from the current procurement round leaves near‑term opportunities unrealized.

Industry trade witnesses argued that targeted procurement or a retail program could be structured as a shared‑savings mechanism, allowing developers to finance projects while returning a portion of savings to ratepayers. Kate Daniel of a community solar association and Valessa Sutterkline of the Solar Energy Industries Association urged rapid interconnection reform and temporary financing flexibility, such as allowing developers to bond interconnection payments to free cash for equipment purchases ahead of federal tax credit deadlines.

Committee members asked for a section‑by‑section analysis of H3542/S2282 to distinguish provisions that duplicate the governor’s energy affordability bill from standalone ideas — specifically calling out section 5, which would authorize a retail storage option and is not in the governor’s package.

No votes were taken. Witnesses asked the committee to report favorably on the study bill S2325 and on standalone measures enabling distribution storage procurement and interconnection reforms to accelerate projects and capture near‑term federal incentives.

Sources: testimony to the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy, July 9, 2025. Quotations and program details from Mariah Eskel, Sofia Flores Cuero, Jessica Robertson (New Leaf Energy), Sean Burke (BlueWave), Kate Daniel (community solar association) and Valessa Sutterkline (SEIA).","Witnesses supported S2325, a study for grid battery storage innovation, and urged policy to include distribution‑connected storage procurement and retail programs to capture local peak‑reduction benefits.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6147916,"Cape Cod legislators and residents urge study of onshore impacts from offshore wind transmission",6813,118000,6931000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5518673-9be29000137d1d9078cd9d42ad3de95b&start=118&end=6931","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5518673-9be29000137d1d9078cd9d42ad3de95b/thumbnail_118000.jpg","/articles/6147916/Massachusetts/Cape-Cod-legislators-and-residents-urge-study-of-onshore-impacts-from-offshore-wind-transmission","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6147916-c65df590e2ee2965353ab3726fa554d9/orig.mp4?Expires=1775376448&Signature=Y6IsLcHgDICmRuoD1ekNda1AIZ0UYvaiji2yp~HBgmMoMgIjE3zxWkwvKTHFuoA5nbwvsX30YwEQQdnZMhzxVnl0~YjWXlRHYNR0fQupdxCdARzJKsW~zZysAovyo~nYzIq1EVBB5GlMrCQxp6E0VdQt-24sImY-80MK97ahi4-qIopPyVvz0f3NARnnXDrJl9BJZm~vmMa02Ewf14IBfD852Dv1Vd01U8sAyMRYXuxSi2bhUW0GI~veAJkfOBNbAuNSb0AhyyLJmXhaJ8kbjkAi7ubiU1JFrwA6A1Mp9YIaCAcvsA91-95gVve3AS7lK9e3YREH9stD9AaJChA5zg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","BOSTON — A Massachusetts lawmaker representing Cape Cod and local residents urged the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy on July 9 to approve legislation creating a special commission to study the onshore risks posed by transmission and substations needed to bring offshore wind to shore.

The representative who said they filed House Bill 3,585 described projects proposed in densely populated neighborhoods that would place high‑voltage infrastructure near drinking‑water protection zones. “The substations, one has already been built and others are proposed, are on top of our drinking water supply,” the representative told the committee, asking that the legislature establish a commission to analyze financial, environmental, public‑health and public‑safety risks.

Suzanne Conley, chair of the citizens group Save Greater Dossas Beach in Barnstable, testified she opposed current transmission plans that she said would bring multiple high‑voltage cables, splicing vaults and substations to Cape Cod beaches and village centers. She described monitoring work around the operational Vineyard Wind turbines and said local groundwater and coastal access would be affected.

Conley cited specific local concerns gathered by her group: multiple 400‑megawatt cables landing in public beach areas, large splicing vaults in parking lots, and diesel‑like dielectric fluid volumes in certain onshore stations. She asked the committee to advance two bills, H3479 and H3585, that would increase the legislature’s scrutiny of onshore siting and require greater local input.

Other witnesses in the hearing supported offshore wind generally but said onshore impacts merit special attention. Environmental groups that support offshore procurement recommended procedural safeguards and stronger wildlife mitigation, and cautioned against duplicative regulations that conflict with the 2024 Climate Act rulemaking.

Committee members asked proponents for clarifying technical details and for written testimony. No formal votes were taken at the hearing. Proponents requested that the committee create a formal study mechanism so that future siting decisions incorporate community and drinking‑water protections before contracts are finalized.

Sources: testimony to the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy, July 9, 2025. Quotations come from the representative for Barnstable (testifying on House Bill 3,585) and Suzanne Conley, chair, Save Greater Dossas Beach.","A state representative and local residents urged lawmakers to create a commission to study risks from onshore transmission and substations for offshore wind, citing concerns about siting near sole‑source aquifers, beaches, and villages.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Supporters say offshore wind bills would boost reliability, jobs and consumer protection

Proponents call for commission to study nuclear energy’s role in decarbonization

River groups and scientists urge excluding pumped storage from statutory "clean energy" definition

Students, developers and advocates press committee to prioritize battery storage and distributed procurement

Cape Cod legislators and residents urge study of onshore impacts from offshore wind transmission