OPSD briefs Land Use Commission on 24 climate mandates and new statewide land-use study

The Land Use Commission on March 11 heard a briefing from Danielle Bass, State Sustainability Coordinator at the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development (OPSD), on 24 state climate and sustainability mandates and the integrated land use study authorized by Act 187 (2025).

Bass said the study will “bring together the data from state agencies, agriculture, housing, energy, and climate programs” to estimate how much land and where it will be needed to meet statutory targets. She summarized major requirements in law, including greenhouse-gas reductions to 50% below 2005 levels by 2030, a renewable portfolio standard that scales to 100% by 2045, school and University net-zero energy targets by 2035, and staggered farm-to-state local food purchasing requirements. Bass said OPSD has not yet met the initial 10% farm-to-state procurement target set for 2025.

The presentation emphasized the study’s role as a data-driven foundation for decisionmaking: “This is just an exploratory study,” Bass said, adding that OPSD will coordinate with DBEDT and other agencies to limit conflicts between agriculture, energy, housing and conservation. She told commissioners OPSD plans to put information into a public dashboard to improve transparency and accountability because some mandates lack a single enforcement entity.

Bass said OPSD received delayed funding and is finalizing staff hiring; the study team will scope metrics, issue an RFP for support services and produce the dashboard as part of project deliverables. The commission did not take formal action on the study at the March 11 meeting; Bass said OPSD will return with further details as the procurement and staffing work continues.