Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey on Thursday signed a climate law that will speed up renewable energy project timelines, provide improved environmental standards, and enhance community engagement.
According to The Nature Conservancy, it is one of several state climate and energy laws that will help the commonwealth meet its net zero emissions goal by 2050.
The law will ensure that clean energy is deployed quickly, enabling simpler permitting practices and consolidating local and state permits that developers would otherwise need to obtain separately.
It also aims to cut down lengthy community conflicts by requiring developers to conduct community engagement and public meetings earlier — and through an assessment — to fund public participation. Additionally, it establishes a process for energy projects to avoid, minimize, and undertake conservation efforts to offset negative impacts to nature and people.
“The newly signed law will help make sure that clean and renewable energy projects in Massachusetts will meet standards for biodiversity, healthy lands and waters, resilient ecosystems and environmental justice communities while maximizing benefits to the climate, conservation and communities – what we call the ‘3Cs,” said Steve Long and Jessica Wilkinson, TNC’s North America renewable energy team lead, in a joint statement.
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