Cusack bill reflects overdue recognition that climate mandates drive up costs

The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance commented today on legislation filed by State Representative Mark Cusack that would begin to scale back some of the state’s out of control, binding net zero energy mandates.

“For years, we’ve warned that Massachusetts’ rigid and aggressive climate laws were setting the state up for unaffordable energy costs and unreliable power. This proposal shows that even on Beacon Hill, among the very same lawmakers that rammed the net-zero by 2050 roadmap bill through five years ago, there’s growing recognition that the current approach simply isn’t sustainable,” said Paul Diego Craney, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance.

Among other things, the bill would make the state’s 2030 emissions target advisory rather than legally binding, reduce the budget for the ratepayer-funded Mass Save program, and delay some offshore wind deadlines to account for changes in market conditions and federal policy. Together, the proposed changes form an acknowledgment from Beacon Hill of the enormous cost of the state’s alternative energy transition plans, costs that would ultimately be paid by ratepayers.

“MassFiscal is pleased to see that cost is finally coming back into the discussion, along with reversing course on the mandate. The price tag for the state’s alternative energy transition as originally proposed would have been staggering, and it’s the public who would have been forced to pay for it. Recognizing that problem and turning the 2030 mandate to a goal is a good first step, but there’s still a long way to go. In addition to turning the 2030 mandate into a goal, the entire NetZero by 2050 mandate needs to be made into a goal and not a mandate. We cannot spend the next 25 years pretending this is achievable and wasting countless opportunities and people’s money trying to achieve something that cannot be achieved and does nothing but financially enrich some alternative energy companies,” noted Craney.

MassFiscal noted that while the bill faces uncertain prospects in the Senate, and by Governor Maura Healey herself, and her Administration which is made up of extremely hard lined climate Secretaries, undersecretaries, and climate bureaucrats, its advancement signals a growing awareness that affordability and reliability must take precedence over political mandates and greedy alternative energy companies profits.

“For too long, the conversation has ignored the economic consequences of these policies. This proposal acknowledges reality: Massachusetts needs an energy policy focused on affordability and reliability, not unattainable mandates that punish taxpayers and ratepayers,” concluded Craney.