RENEW Northeast provided testimony before the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy regarding several proposed bills — H.3479, H.3585, H.3579, S.2237, S.2279, and S.2304 — that, if enacted, could delay critical clean energy projects and undermine recent progress made under the 2024 Climate Act.
Representing RENEW Northeast, Nathan Raike, Manager of State and Local Affairs, outlined concerns that these bills would add duplicative and extra-departmental requirements to the permitting process for offshore wind projects and weaken the state’s commitment to proven energy storage technologies like pumped hydropower.
Protecting the Integrity of the 2024 Climate Act Implementation
The 2024 Climate Act created a single, consolidated permit process through the Energy Facilities Siting Board (EFSB) to expedite development of clean energy infrastructure. Key regulations are still being finalized and are not expected to be fully implemented until summer 2026.
RENEW warned that the “Offshore Wind Siting Bills” (H.3479, H.3585, H.3579, S.2279, and S.2304) would:
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Duplicate existing state and federal siting requirements
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Delay stakeholder engagement processes already underway at the EFSB
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Risk project delays of six months or more, undermining climate and energy targets
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Overlap with federal jurisdiction on offshore transmission siting and permitting
Preserving Pumped Hydropower’s Role in a Reliable Grid
RENEW also opposed provisions in S.2237 that would remove pumped storage hydropower from the definition of clean energy storage facilities. These resources are vital to:
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Ensuring grid reliability during extreme weather events
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Reducing reliance on costly fossil fuel peaker plants
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Shielding ratepayers from energy price volatility
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Supporting the state’s 83E energy storage procurement
Excluding existing storage resources from participating in upcoming clean energy solicitations would reduce competition, increase costs, and jeopardize the state’s ability to meet climate commitments.
A Call for Legislative Prudence
RENEW urged the Committee to issue a negative report or send these bills to study, allowing the 2024 Climate Act’s processes to be implemented as intended before adding new layers of regulation.
“Massachusetts has positioned itself as a leader in offshore wind and clean energy storage,” said Raike. “Now is the time to let smart, streamlined policies work — not to introduce duplicative requirements that risk slowing our progress.”