A-B-C Stormwater Flooding Board bill becomes law

S1857, An Act extending the Environmental Joint Powers Agreement that created the A-B-C Stormwater Flooding Board, originally filed in January by Senator Brownsberger asS343, was signed into law this morning by Governor Patrick. The new law authorizes a procedure to retroactively extend the environmental joint powers agreement, authorized in 2005, that created the Arlington-Belmont-Cambridge Stormwater Flooding Board. …

Energy and Climate Overview

Movement to a clean energy economy is a moral priority — uncontrolled climate change threatens future generations. This is an area of deep continuing concern for me. In the current legislative session, my top energy/climate goals are: Strengthening the MBTA Improving our preparation for sea level rise, including storm surges. For more about my work …

Natural gas: cost of extending service

Natural gas is getting cheaper and is projected to stay cheaper than oil for the foreseeable future, due to reserves discovered in New England and new techniques for extraction (the infamous ‘fracking’). Looking around in my town, Lexington, there are thousands of houses heated with oil and propane. The snug is that extension of gas …

Transition to Clean Energy

Yesterday Senator Brownsberger testified before the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy in support of H2935 An Act to transition to a clean energy Commonwealth. This bill will hasten the end of the coal industry in Massachusetts. See the Senator’s testimony below and visit Coal Free Mass for more information about the Commonwealth’s transition …

Timely Adoption of Greenhouse Gas Limits

Yesterday Senator Brownsberger testified before the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy in support of S1565, a bill he introduced to encourage progress towards the 2050 emissions targets laid out in the Global Warming Solutions Act. Here is Senator Brownsberger’s testimony: I am writing in support of S1565, An Act requiring the timely adoption …