Client: Barr Foundation
Authors: Bryndis Woods, Nina Schlegel, and Liz Stanton, PhD
June 2018
On behalf of the Barr Foundation, Researchers Bryndis Woods and Nina Schlegel, along with Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, prepared an Applied Economics Clinic policy brief which detailed Massachusetts’ history of leadership in clean electric-sector policies. Beginning in the 1980s, through the electric “restructuring” laws and regulations of the 1990s, and then the 2008 Green Communities Act and Global Warming Solutions Act, Massachusetts policy-makers have laid the groundwork for today’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while adding diversity to New England’s electric generating resources. The 2018 ‘Act to Promote a Clean Energy Future’ continues this work, calling for accelerated renewable energy requirements, offshore wind and battery storage targets, and less stringent limits on rooftop solar installations.
Link to History of MA Energy Sector Policy Brief