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Massachusetts
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Definitions
Planning and Measurement | Targets and Caps | Reporting | Power Sector | Transportation Sector
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Planning and Measurement
State Advisory Board
Status: No Activity Identified
Regional Initiatives
Status: Completed
Details: Member of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed the Green Communities Act (S.B. 2768) on July 2, 2008, which gave final legislative approval to the state's participation in RGGI. On March 17, 2008, participating states announced plans for a carbon dioxide allowance auction to be held September 25, 2008, as part of a cap-and-trade program to take effect beginning January 1, 2009. Some legislative approvals are still pending before the first-of-its-kind auction will take place on behalf of all 10 states. In late January 2008, MA Department of Environmental Protection issued final regulations implementing MA's participation in RGGI.
MA joined RGGI on January 18, 2007, under Governor Patrick after previously being involved as an observer. RGGI is a cooperative effort by Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states to establish a regional cap-and-trade program initially covering carbon dioxide emissions from power plants in the region.
In 2001, the Conference of New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers (NEG/ECP) released a Climate Action Plan which establishes regional goals and identifies steps to address those aspects of global warming which are within the region's control. In 2000, the NEG/ECP adopted resolution 25-9 on global warming, recognizing its potentially harmful impacts on the environment and the economy and the need for a regional approach to address it.
- http://www.mass.gov/dep/service/regulations/co2btreg.pdf
- http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/senate/185/st02pdf/st02768.pdf
- http://www.negc.org/environment.html
GHG Inventory
Status: Completed
Details: The Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM) published a regional GHG inventory for the New England states in 2004 with support from EPA. MA created a State Sustainability Program in July 2002 (Executive Order 438), which developed a GHG inventory for state agencies to establish a baseline for future reductions. The inventory for state agencies was released in February 2004 and covers fiscal year 2002 emissions.
- http://epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/downloads/rpt040315ghg.pdf
- http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/downloads/MASummary.PDF
Climate Change Action Plan
Status: Completed
Details: The state completed a plan released in May 2004. Massachusetts is also a signatory to the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers regional Climate Change Action Plan 2001.
Targets and Caps
Lead by Example Target
Status: Completed
Details: Executive Order No. 484 ("Leading By Example - Clean Energy and Efficient Buildings"), announced April 2007 by Governor Patrick, requires that state agencies reduce GHG emissions 25% over the next five years, 40% by 2020, and 80% by 2050.
Statewide GHG Target
Status: Completed
Details: Signatory to New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers Action Plan which calls for the following GHG targets: 1990 emission levels by 2010, 10% below 1990 levels by 2020, and further reductions in the long term as needed to prevent a dangerous threat to the climate. The targets are also established in the 2004 Massachusetts Climate Protection Plan.
- http://www.negc.org/documents/NEG-ECP%20CCAP.PDF
- http://www.mass.gov/Eocd/docs/pdfs/fullcolorclimateplan.pdf
Statewide GHG Cap
Status: Completed
Details: The Global Warming Solutions Act (S.B. 2540), signed by Governor Deval Patrick on August 7, 2008, requires the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 25% from 1990 levels by 2020 and by 80% from 1990 levels by 2050.
- http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=gov3pressrelease&L=1&L0=Home&sid=Agov3&b=pressrelease&f=080813_green_jobs&csid=Agov3
- http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/seslaw08/sl080298.htm
Reporting
Electricity Disclosure
Status: Completed
Details: As part of its 1997 electric utility restructuring legislation, Massachusetts mandates the disclosure of fuel mixes and emissions to end-use customers.
GHG Registry
Status: In Progress
Details: Member of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), under which entities in the power sector will be required to report (and reduce) their GHG emissions. In late January 2008, Massachusetts finalized regulations for the state's participation in RGGI. RGGI's first compliance period will begin January 1, 2009. RGGI's registry has not yet been created.
Member of The Climate Registry - a collaboration aimed at developing and managing a common GHG emissions reporting system across states, provinces, and tribes. It will provide an accurate, complete, consistent, transparent, and verified set of GHG emissions data from reporting entities, supported by a robust accounting and verification infrastructure. Members released a final General Reporting Protocol in May 2008. The Climate Registry plans to start accepting data in summer 2008.
- http://www.mass.gov/dep/service/regulations/co2btreg.pdf
- http://www.rggi.org/docs/program_summary_10_07.pdf
- http://www.theclimateregistry.org
Mandatory GHG Reporting
Status: Completed
Details: In late January 2008, MA Department of Environmental Protection issued final regulations implementing MA's participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) through 310 CMR 7.70 "Massachusetts CO2 Budget Trading Program" and Amendments to: 310 CMR 7.29 "Emissions Standards for Power Plants" and 310 CMR 7.00: Appendix B(7) "Emission Banking, Trading, and Averaging". On January 2, 2008, the state Senate approved a bill (S 2422) that would write the state's participation in RGGI into law instead of Executive Order. MA joined RGGI on January 18, 2007, under Governor Patrick after previously being involved as an observer. RGGI is a cooperative effort by Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states to establish a regional cap-and-trade program initially covering carbon dioxide emissions from power plants in the region. On August 15, 2006, the participating states issued a model rule for the RGGI program (corrected January 5, 2007), which formed the basis of MA's regulatory proposal to implement the program. A number of Massachusetts facilities operate with voluntary or imposed limits on their emissions of specific air pollutants. These facilities are required to keep onsite records of operating parameters, and many also must report monthly and 12-month rolling emissions data to the Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) on an annual basis.
- http://www.mass.gov/dep/service/regulations/co2btreg.pdf
- http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/senate/185/st02/st02422.htm
- http://www.mass.gov/dep/air/approvals/reshome.htm
Power Sector
CO2 Offset Requirements
Status: Completed
Details: On September 14, 2006, the Romney administration announced final rules specifying how the offset program associated with the 2001 CO2 emission caps would work. As of 2001, the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board requires that new plants with capacity >100MW offset 1% of their CO2 for the next 20 years. These rules will be superceded by RGGI on January 1, 2009.
GHG Performance Standard
Status: No Activity Identified
Advanced Coal Technology
Status: Proposed
Details: On November 15, 2007, lawmakers in the Massachusetts House of Representatives unanimously backed a measure aimed at boosting use of alternative and renewable energy sources and energy efficiency measures. The Green Communities Act, House Bill No. 4373, would set up an alternative energy portfolio standard (EPS) requiring the state to meet 20% of its electric load through new, renewable generation including coal gasification and other alternative energy technologies by 2020.
Power Sector GHG Cap and Trade
Status: Completed
Details: Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed the Green Communities Act (S.B. 2768) on July 2, 2008, which gave final legislative approval to the state's participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). On March 17, 2008, states participating in RGGI announced plans for a carbon dioxide allowance auction to be held September 25, 2008, as part of a cap-and-trade program to take effect beginning January 1, 2009. Massachusetts will particiapte in the September 25, 2008, auction. Some legislative approvals are still pending before the first-of-its-kind auction will take place on behalf of all 10 states. In late January 2008, MA Department of Environmental Protection issued final regulations implementing MA's participation in RGGI through 310 CMR 7.70 "Massachusetts CO2 Budget Trading Program" and Amendments to: 310 CMR 7.29 "Emissions Standards for Power Plants" and 310 CMR 7.00: Appendix B(7) "Emission Banking, Trading, and Averaging". Massachusetts will auction 99 percent of its allowances, and use the funds generated by those sales to fund energy efficiency, demand reduction, renewable energy programs, and combined heat and power (CHP) projects.
- http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/senate/185/st02pdf/st02768.pdf
- http://www.mass.gov/dep/air/climate/index.htm#rggi
- http://www.rggi.org/
Transportation Sector
GHG Auto Standards
Status: In Progress
Details: Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed the Clean Energy Biofuels Act on July 28, 2008, which mandates that fuels meet strict greenhouse gas reduction standards. The law makes Massachusetts the second state, after California, to require the development of a low-carbon fuel standard for vehicles that would reduce greenhouse gases by 10%.
On January 9, 2006, Massachusetts adopted California's vehicle emissions standards, which will take effect in Massachusetts starting with 2009 model year vehicles. On January 2, 2008, California filed a lawsuit challenging the U.S. EPA's denial of the state's effort to regulate GHG emissions from motor vehicles, in response to EPA's rejection of a petition for a Clean Air Act waiver on December 19, 2007. A waiver is required for California and other states to implement a vehicle emissions standard tougher than the federal one. The proposed auto standard calls for the reduction of GHG emissions from new vehicles of 22% by 2012 and 30% by 2016.
Low Carbon Fuel Standard
Status: In Progress
Details: On August 7, 2008, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed Senate Bill 2540, the Global Warming Solutions Act, which includes a requirement that Massachusetts coordinate with New England states to develop a low-carbon fuel standard to reduce emissions from the use of liquid fuels, such as gas for cars and trucks.
Governor Patrick signed the Clean Energy Biofuels Act on July 28, 2008, which mandates that fuels meet strict greenhouse gas reduction standards. The law makes Massachusetts the second state, after California, to require the development of a low-carbon fuel standard for vehicles that would reduce greenhouse gases by 10%.
On April 23, 2008, the Advanced Biofuels Task Force (as created by Governor Patrick and legislative leaders in November 2007) released their recommendations, including a LCFS. Governor Patrick then instructed the State Department of Energy and Environmental Affairs to begin developing a LCFS, while he works with other states to try to create a regional LCFS.