House Passes Greenworks Bill with ACEC/MA-backed Water Infrastructure Language

Update: On July 24, 2019 the Massachusetts House unanimous passed the Greenworks  bill to establish a new grant program to help cities and towns confront climate change impacts and to borrow more than $1 billion to pay for it. The bill (H 3987) would create the GreenWorks infrastructure program under the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs to help communities address the threat of rising seas and floodwaters, and the damage that's already occurred. The bill authorizes the state to borrow $1.3B and to distribute $100M for GreenWorks annually for a decade. It would establish a competitive grant program under which municipalities could apply each year for funding for specific projects. Two or more towns would be able to apply jointly for money to pay for regional resilience efforts. The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration. It is still not clear how the Senate will act on Governor Baker's similar bill (S 10). H3987 includes an ACEC/MA-backed amendment that expands the funding to, "improve the climate resiliency of water infrastructure and water resources."

Update: on July 15, 2019, this bill was reported favorably by the House Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditure and State Assets with an amendment.  It is now H3972 An Act Relative to Greenworks and it was sent to the House Committee on Ways and Means.  

Update: Coalition Letter Submitted to House Committee on Bonding on 7-3-2019

On July 8, 2019, the House Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditure and State Assets held a hearing on the Greenworks Bill. ACEC/MA is part of a broad coalition supporting this bill. Above is a link to the coalition letter.  The bill expected to move forward in the House soon.

Background on this bill is below.

Mark Costa, VHB and Chris McDermott, TRC Companies, testifying for ACEC/MA in support of H.3846, An Act Relative to Greenworks on June 18.   (photo: Molly Sullivan)

House's "GreenWorks" Climate Legislation, H.3846 (Now H.3941)

(July 2 update: this bill has been reported favorably to the House Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets, which will hold a hearing on July 8 on this bill)

By State Representative Carolyn Dykema 

Climate change is a significant and growing concern with wide-ranging impacts, and although the Commonwealth remains a leader in several areas including energy efficiency, there is growing urgency for more aggressive policy.  

Speaker DeLeo announced a new "GreenWorks" grant proposal to invest $1 billion over the next 10 years to help communities across Massachusetts adopt technologies - including clean energy, energy efficiency, and climate change resiliency measures - that cut greenhouse gas emissions, fortify infrastructure and reduce municipal costs.

The GreenWorks proposal has taken shape over the past several months and initial bond legislation was recently filed by my colleague Rep. Tom Golden, House Chair of the Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy, as H.3846, An Act relative to GreenWorks. You can find the full text of the bill here. 

Below, please find an overview of the bond authorizations included in the proposal: 

• $1B for a "GreenWorks" infrastructure program, to be administered by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, to provide grants to municipalities for the following:
  • Improvements to publicly-owned infrastructure to support climate adaptation and resiliency, mitigate the impacts of climate change, reduce carbon emissions, implement energy efficient or conservation measures, improve energy efficiency, or contribute to the Commonwealth's efforts to to meet interim carbon emissions limits 
  • Siting and construction of renewables, energy storage, and alternative energy projects on municipally-owned land
  • To implement adaptation/resiliency measures pursuant to our statewide climate adaptation strategy
  • To implement infrastructure improvements identified through the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program]
• $100M for a matching grant program to support municipal development and deployment of microgrid energy systems.
• $125M for grant programs to support electrification of municipal and RTA vehicle fleets, including:
  • $10M for planning and technical assistance
  • $25M for municipal acquisition of EVs and related infrastructure
  • $90M for EVs and related infrastructure including battery electric or plug-in hybrid electric buses
• $20M to establish a grant program to support municipalities in hiring a sustainability coordinator to implement and monitor GreenWorks projects
  • Directs municipalities to execute a 5-year contract with the coordinator; provides up to the first 3 years of funding for designated environmental justice (EJ) communities and up to the first 2 years for other communities
• $50M to establish a Green Resiliency Fund to provide loans to municipalities for the following:
  • Meeting matching requirements of the GreenWorks program after demonstrating financial need
  • Resiliency improvements for extreme weather preparedness
  • Resiliency investments that result in economic revitalization

This bill had a hearing before the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy on June 18, 2019.

ACEC/MA thanks State Representative Carolyn Dykema (D-Holliston) for sharing this information on  H.3846, An Act relative to GreenWorks. Representative Dykema is the Vice Chair of the Massachusetts Legislature’s Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy, She can be reached at (617) 722-2680.