Who's delaying climate action in the U.S. states? Here's a thread about our brand new report on thousands of pieces of legislative testimony and lobbying in a state that by rights should be leading. https://www.cssn.org/new-cssn-report-whos-delaying-climate-action-in-massachusetts-twelve-findings/

Why is climate policy so hard? Today CSSN released a new briefing by researchers Galen Hall, @trevordculhane, and @TimmonsRoberts on lobbying on #climate and energy legislation in the states, looking at the Massachusetts case. #mapoli (THREAD 1/7)

After @MassGovernor vetoed what would have been the state’s most ambitious climate and energy bill in a decade last week, the analysis finds that clean energy advocates are outspent on lobbying by more than 3.5 to 1 by utilities and allied organizations. (2/7)

The report analyzes 4,072 reports of lobbying on 291 pieces of climate and clean energy legislation over the period between 2013 and 2018, identifying nine interest group coalitions with distinct roles in influencing climate policy (3/7)

MA utilities are the most powerful actors when it comes to shaping climate and energy legislation in the state; successfully blocking nearly every bill they opposed and winning passage of the ones they supported. (4/7)

Fossil fuel and chemical companies, real estate companies, and fossil fuel power generation companies also routinely oppose climate and clean energy bills, including solar and net metering, and hydro and wind (5/7)

The report offers several clear recommendations for improving the legislative process on climate and energy: transparency, capacity-building, broader engagement by clean energy firms and associations, prohibition on utility lobbying using ratepayer money, and education. (6/7)

You can read the full analysis here--also check out the new Climate Social Science Network site http://CSSN.org  (7/7)
https://cssn.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/MA-CSSN-Report-1.20.2021-Corrected-text.pdf