The Baker Administration has pushed forward dirty biomass subsidies! Now the legislature must act! Click the button to tell your state legislators: No Toxic Biomass!
November 11th, 2021
We’ve got bad news, and an urgent call for action.
Despite vigilant opposition by community organizations, environmental advocates, and legislators, Governor Baker has pushed forward changes to the state clean energy policies - the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) - that will subsidize biomass.
With these new regulations, Massachusetts ratepayers will fund incentives for old, polluting biomass plants, primarily facilities in Maine and New Hampshire, under the guise that they are producing clean energy.
Here’s the good news: legislation that has been heard by state’s Telecommunications, Utility and Energy committee (An act to prevent biomass energy to protect the air we breathe – H.3333/S.2197) would strip biomass from the RPS and prevent MA ratepayer dollars from subsidizing inefficient, out of state biomass plants. This legislation must be given a favorable report by the legislature and brought to a floor vote as soon as possible.
Be a climate champion: urge your legislators to stop biomass pollution! If you’ve already emailed your state representative and senator, follow up with a phone call. You can also find a list of key legislative leaders to contact here.
Baker, DOER advance bad biomass regulation: Contact Your Legislators!
September 9th, 2021
Following its July oversight hearing, the Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy (TUE) Committee will be reviewing biomass legislation, including one of our supported bills, on September 13th, 2021 at 1:30 PM. Show up or submit testimony for S.2197/H.3333, which removes woody biomass burning altogether from Massachusetts' renewable energy programs
Sign up to testify by filling out this form by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, September 10th. Once registered, you will receive further instruction on how to participate virtually.
Written testimony can be submitted via email to Magda Garncarz at magdalena.garncarz@mahouse.gov and Dina Nathanson at dina.nathanson@masenate.gov. The deadline to submit written testimony is Monday, September 13, 2021 by 5:00 p.m. When submitting written testimony, please use the following document title format:
Bill# - Your Organization’s Name – Support
Example: S2197/H333 – No Toxic Biomass – Support
State legislators are clearly paying attention to this issue, thanks largely to the thousands of citizens from Springfield and across the state voicing their concerns to them. Tell the legislature:
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These bills are necessary to protect public health
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Subsidizing woody biomass goes against Massachusetts’ legally binding climate commitments
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Ratepayer dollars shouldn’t fund pollution here or elsewhere
Public Hearing on Biomass Bills on September 13th
Public Hearing on Proposed RPS Regulation Changes Announced for July 30th
July 28th, 2021
Great news!
The Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy (TUE) Committee will be conducting a virtual public hearing on the Baker administration’s proposed biomass rule changes this Friday, July 30th at 10 AM.
We won this public hearing because of your support and advocacy. Our collective efforts, including the 80+ groups that stepped up on short notice to sign our letter asking the TUE Committee to hold this hearing, were key to our success.
As noted in the hearing announcement, oral testimony is by invitation only. The advocacy community has been given a limited number of slots, and PFPI and members of the No Toxic Biomass campaign have provided names to the TUE committee. However, anyone can attend (virtually) and submit written testimony!
We are urging the TUE Committee to reject DOER’s amendments that would expand renewable energy incentives for wood-burning biomass power plants and roll back critical public health and environmental protections.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Attend the TUE hearing this Friday: Strong (virtual) turnout at the hearing will demonstrate to the legislature that we are watching closely. The live stream of the public hearing may be viewed under the Hearings & Events section of the Massachusetts legislature's website.
Submit Written Comments: Even a short personal note goes a long way with legislators! Written testimony can be sent to magdalena.garncarz@mahouse.gov and Samuel.Anderson@masenate.gov by Monday, August 2nd at 5 pm. Ask the TUE Committee to reject DOER’s proposed rule changes that expand renewable energy incentives for wood burning power plants and to recommend expanding protections for environmental justice communities. For more talking points see below.
Contact your State Senator and Representative: Ask them to support and co-sponsor two bills endorsed by the No Toxic Biomass campaign:
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S.2186/H.3362 prohibits polluting power plants from receiving RPS funds if they are located in, or within 5 miles of an environmental justice community
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S.2197/H.3333 removes woody biomass burning altogether from Massachusetts' renewable energy programs
For more information about these bills and to find out who your state legislators are, click here.
Social Media: Please use the #BakerNoBiomass hashtag for any social media posts and link to the NoToxicBiomass.org campaign website.
TALKING POINTS:
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DOER is proposing sweeping changes that will allow inefficient and polluting wood-burning biomass power plants to once again qualify for renewable energy incentives in Massachusetts.
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The Baker administration’s changes roll back important environmental and public health protections adopted in 2012 that make Massachusetts’ RPS standards the strongest in the nation.
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Biomass power plants are not “clean energy” - they emit large quantities of harmful air pollution and are damaging to our climate and our forests.
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Wood-burning power plants emit more carbon dioxide pollution out their stacks than coal or natural gas plants per megawatt of energy produced.
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The new provision prohibiting biomass power plants from qualifying for the RPS if they are located in or within 5 miles of an environmental justice community is a positive step and should be expanded to include all combustion technologies that are covered in the RPS.
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These regulations will allow existing inefficient biomass power plants in Maine, New Hampshire and elsewhere to collect millions of dollars in renewable energy subsidies paid for by Massachusetts residents through their electric bills.
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Massachusetts ratepayers want to support clean renewable energy, not dirty biomass plants!
Statement by the Springfield Climate Justice Coalition on DOER’s Proposed RPS Rule Changes
April 16, 2021
We are gratified that the Baker Administration is finally listening and responding to the widespread public opposition to putting a polluting wood-burning power plant in an environmental justice community that has been named the “asthma capital of the country.”
If adopted, these rule changes will ensure that the Palmer Renewable Energy biomass plant proposed in East Springfield will not be able to qualify for millions in renewable energy subsidies in Massachusetts. We’re thrilled to see these protections for environmental justice communities included in DOER’s new RPS regulations; for far too long Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities have been disproportionately targeted as sites for toxic and polluting facilities.
This is a second win for the Springfield community, following MassDEP’s April 2nd decision to revoke the air quality permit for the Palmer plant.
As we celebrate a major step forward for the people of Springfield who have been fighting this plant for more than 12 years, and for environmental justice communities across the state, we want to be clear that biomass does not belong anywhere in the Commonwealth’s clean energy future. We are concerned that DOER’s proposal includes loopholes that would allow existing polluting biomass power plants throughout the Northeast to qualify for rate-payer funded renewable energy credits in Massachusetts.
The Springfield Climate Justice Coalition is committed to continuing to work toward eliminating dirty biomass altogether as a source of energy. No matter where they are sited, biomass power plants pump out health-harming air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.
April 2, 2021: An important WIN and... we're not out of the woods yet
On Friday, April 2, 2021, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) officially revoked the Final Plan Approval necessary for the construction of the Palmer Renewable Energy (PRE) proposed 42-mW biomass electricity generating plant.
The DEP decision provides important momentum in our efforts to stop the PRE plant, but we are not out of the woods yet. This plant has been vigorously opposed for 12 years and has earned the nickname 'zombie incinerator' for its uncanny ability to be revived after apparently fatal blows. We must keep up a vigilant campaign in case PRE tries to resuscitate its proposal by reapplying for a new project permit.
In addition, Governor Baker’s Department Of Energy Resources continues to push a rollback of rules that would qualify biomass energy to receive ratepayer subsidies that are intended for true clean energy alternatives like wind and solar. If they are successful, this regressive rule change could not only give the PRE plant new life but encourage development of other inefficient and polluting biomass plants in the state.
Now, more than ever, it's important that we keep up the pressure to make sure that PRE and other biomass plants are not allowed to pollute Environmental Justice communities - or any communities- in MA!