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New from CommonWealth Beacon |
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CHARTER SCHOOLS: The state’s highest court ruled that charter schools must comply with the state’s public records law, rejecting Mystic Valley Regional Charter School’s argument that they are only quasi-public. Jennifer Smith reports on the decision. |
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GOING NUCLEAR: Gov. Maura Healey is betting big that nuclear energy is primed for a comeback as the state searches for new sources of locally generated power, despite feasibility and political questions. Jordan Wolman takes a deep dive. |
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RENT CONTROL: A new report backed by rent control opponents warns that imposing a cap on rents statewide as envisioned under a ballot question could wipe away $300 billion in home and property values, which would trigger a major tax shortfall at the local level. Chris Lisinski has the details. |
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When House Democrats first floated a plan to take the teeth out of the state’s next big deadline for slashing greenhouse gas emissions, Gov. Maura Healey did not have much to say about it. |
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Instead, she wanted to talk about reducing household electricity and gas costs. |
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“I haven’t seen the outlines of any specific plan on that,” she said in November, three days after CommonWealth Beacon broke the news that Rep. Mark Cusack, the House point person on energy, wanted to rework a huge energy affordability bill the governor filed by weakening the state’s 2030 decarbonization mandate. “There are other things in that legislation that will, right now, help us reduce energy costs,” Healey said. “That’s what we’ve got to focus on. That’s what we’ve got to do.” |
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Facing strong blowback to Cusack’s plan, House leaders abandoned the idea of gutting the emission reduction mandates and pivoted to another idea that would have seemed out of bounds only a few years ago: slashing $1 billion from the Mass Save energy efficiency program. |
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Healey again skirted the issue — “I’ve got to take a look at it,” she said when the new House idea emerged — and stuck to her message. “I’m really glad to see this energy affordability bill move forward,” she said. “We’ve got to get this done.” |
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If Healey seems laser-focused on energy costs these days, she is hardly alone. It’s part of a new political calculus on climate and energy policy, one that reflects a striking turnabout, in Massachusetts and beyond. |
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For many Massachusetts Democrats, never mind those Republicans here who once shared their outlook, fighting climate change has faded from a badge of honor to an often-avoided topic as frustration over soaring utility bills reaches a fever pitch — and as reelection campaigns kick into gear. |
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ADDED: REDUCE YOUR CONSUMPTION WITH MASS SAVE AND IT'S NOT AN ISSUE! IT'S SHORT SIGHTED TO SLASH MASS SAVE FUNDING! THIS SHOULD NOT BE A POLITICAL ISSUE, BUT RATHER COMMON SENSE! THERE ARE A LOT OF INEXPENSIVE SOLUTIONS AVAILABLE.... UPGRADED BUILDING CODES REQUIRE NUMEROUS ENERGY EFFICIENT SOLUTIONS SUCH AS LED LIGHTING, UPGRADED INSULATION... ENERGY EXPERTS SAY THAT YOU CAN REDUCE YOUR ENERGY CONSUMPTION 35% INEXPENSIVELY OR FOR FREE...
EVEN RENTERS CAN REDUCE THEIR COSTS.... TRUMP DECLARED OFFSHORE WIND THE ENEMY AND THERE ARE FIGHTS IN COURT....THOSE PROJECTS WOULD POWER + 1 MILLION HOMES....COPY WHAT THE CHINESE ARE DOING - CHEAP SOLAR WITH BATTERY BACKUP - COPY SUCCESS!
Now that federal opposition from the Trump administration and spiking infrastructure costs have dropped massive barriers along the path to a clean-energy future, climate activists are finding it harder to get elected officials to talk about cutting emissions. Aggressive promises to curb greenhouse gases have been replaced by second-guessing deadlines previously put in place to meet those vows. And it’s happening as polls suggest a weakening of voter support for climate action. |
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The shift has left many veteran activists frustrated and pondering a question with long-term impacts: Is this just a temporary dip in support for clean energy, or a permanent reshaping of political will? |
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“The conversation has changed. A lot of people are less likely to bring up climate on their own,” said Kyle Murray, Massachusetts state director for the Acadia Center, a climate advocacy organization. “Affordability, as anyone who pays attention to this stuff can see, has become the name of the game.” |
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More from CommonWealth Beacon |
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COMPETITIVENESS: Gov. Maura Healey’s top economic development official and state lawmakers musings at a recent budget hearing about affordability in the nation’s second-most expensive state centered on one buzzword: competitiveness. Jennifer Smith reports. |
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OPINION: A change in guard at the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority should bring with it a new focus to clean up the Mystic and Charles rivers, write Paul Levy, a former MWRA executive director, and Emily Norton, the head of the Charles River Watershed Association. |
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DEPORTATIONS: Children are regularly summoned into federal immigration courts in Massachusetts, often without their parents, where judges weigh the Trump administration’s deportation efforts. (WBUR) |
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HEALTH CARE: Statewide health care spending soared 5.7 percent in 2024, the fourth straight year it surpassed the official benchmark intended to control cost growth. (Boston Business Journal – paywall) |
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MEDIA MERGER?: GBH leaders are open to considering a merger with fellow Boston-area public media outlet WBUR after major federal funding cuts that have changed the financial calculus. (The Boston Globe – paywall) |
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WORLD CUP: Foxborough and the Kraft Group announced a deal to issue the necessary entertainment license for World Cup matches to take place at Gillette Stadium, ending a protracted dispute. (GBH News) |
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SHELTER: The Healey administration plans to reduce capacity in the family shelter system to about 3,200 units at the same time that lawmakers warn many beds are empty and families are being denied assistance. (State House News Service – paywall) |
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