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Hey there, Massachusetts! I want to clear up some confusion about a provision in the climate bill currently on Gov. Baker's desk. The bill DOES NOT put a 5-yr moratorium on wood-burning biomass facilities like the one proposed in Springfield.
(1/8) #mapoli #NextGenRoadmap
(1/8) #mapoli #NextGenRoadmap
(2/8) And it DOES NOT affect the proposed rule changes from the Department of Energy Resources to allow certain biomass facilitates to get lucrative renewable energy subsidies.
Background on Springfield plant & proposed rule changes
https://www.wbur.org/earthwhile/2020/12/22/biomass-palmer-springfield-asthma-rps-change
Background on Springfield plant & proposed rule changes
https://www.wbur.org/earthwhile/2020/12/22/biomass-palmer-springfield-asthma-rps-change
(3/8) What this bill DOES do is affect how municipal light plants (the 14% of the market not covered by big utilities like Eversource and National Grid) can source energy from biomass facilities and count it toward their renewable energy goals.
(4/8) In the house bill that passed in Aug, a "muni" could count biomass as renewable -- it was on a list right along with solar and wind.
...And then the public revolted, peppering the legislature with calls to take biomass off the list.
...And then the public revolted, peppering the legislature with calls to take biomass off the list.
(5/8) In the final version of the bill, the authors struck a sort of compromise: for the next five years, munis can't count biomass as renewable (this is the "moratorium") and meanwhile, the state needs to do a new study about the climate and public health impacts of biomass.
(6/8) I've seen a lot of people saying things about how the bill kills the Springfield plant, and that's just not true. There are a bunch of munis that have contracts with it, and there's nothing in the bill that nullifies them. They just can't count it as renewable.
(7/8) ***Side note: if you run a muni and feel duped or angry or have any reaction whatsoever, my DMs are open and I want to hear from you 
(8/8) In short:
-The confusion stems from a poorly worded press release
-It's unclear how this bill will impact the future of the Springfield plant
-The DOER changes are still poised to take effect any day now
-And let's hope the state takes the health/climate study seriously
-The confusion stems from a poorly worded press release
-It's unclear how this bill will impact the future of the Springfield plant
-The DOER changes are still poised to take effect any day now
-And let's hope the state takes the health/climate study seriously
