NECEC President Peter Rothstein made the following statement applauding the Massachusetts House of Representatives for unanimously passing Speaker Robert DeLeo’s GreenWorks bill (H. 3987) yesterday:

“NECEC applauds the House for their swift passage of Speaker DeLeo’s GreenWorks legislation. Its unanimous passage demonstrates an irrefutable commitment to growing Massachusetts’ clean energy economy, opening the door for cities and towns across the state to use the bill’s$1.3 billion to invest in clean technologies and strategies to combat climate change. NECEC is particularly pleased to see the inclusion of its recommendation for the majority of funding to be awarded via competitive grants, driving opportunities for innovation through a prudent and transparent process.

Included in the bills are provisions for funding municipal microgrid projects, which will deliver resilience, alleviate the system stress associated with peak demand, and reduce overall energy costs. Greenworks, as passed, will enable the increased electrification of municipal fleets. Similarly, NECEC commends the house for passing an amendment to extend funding for the state’s expiring EV rebate program, to the tune of $30 million.

We encourage the Senate to build on this momentum and take up the bill for passage expeditiously.”