Running Out Of Time: The Legislative Fight For Renewable Energy Sources In Massachusetts

Abstract

For this project, I have analyzed the passage of the Global Warming Protection Act and subsequent legislation related to its implementation. The Global Warming Solutions Act of 2008 was a groundbreaking piece of legislation at the time of its passage but has proven to be a poor mechanism for the implementation of renewable energy in the Commonwealth. Using the Punctuated Equilibrium Theoretical Framework, my research found that the policy monopoly of National Grid, Eversource and Exxon Mobil have constrained the renewable energy outcomes of the Global Warming Solutions Act. While the Global Warming Solutions Act was intended to develop and implement renewable energy projects across the Commonwealth like Cape Wind and the Northeast Energy Link, there have been no major renewable projects completed in Massachusetts. The policy monopoly has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars lobbying against any and all issues related to energy policy in Massachusetts. By analyzing these policies, this research has established how Massachusetts has failed to become a leader in renewable energy in the years since the Global Warming Solutions Act. In order to meet net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, Massachusetts must create stricter reporting requirements for the policy monopoly, focus on implementing large-scale renewable energy projects, and develop a Department of Renewable Energy with the sole purpose of ending the Commonwealth’s reliance on fossil fuels. This analysis was used to craft recommendations for future pieces of legislation that will help Massachusetts transition to complete reliance on renewable energy.