Any plan to lower emissions in Massachusetts must not only consider how to cut the largest sources of carbon pollution – for the Commonwealth, that’s transportation and heating – but also how to ensure all residents have equal access to its solutions.
New England is no stranger to ice storms, of course, and the Texas power grid is very different from ours. But we can still heed lessons from the Texas crisis – especially as we look at the future pressures our grid will face because of our changing climate.
“Offshore wind is a critical piece of New England’s shift from polluting fossil fuels to clean energy,” said Priscilla Brooks, Director of Ocean Conservation at CLF. “Today’s news is an exciting step forward for the Vineyard Wind project and we look forward to reviewing the environmental impact statement. We will continue to work with Vineyard Wind and federal officials to make sure that this project moves forward quickly and in a way that avoids harm to endangered North Atlantic right whales as well as other ocean wildlife and habitats.”
“We’re experiencing heavier snow loads and precipitation coming in much quicker bursts,” said CLF’s Deanna Moran. “So how is that going to affect distribution lines? What does that mean for trees falling and taking down distribution lines and poles?”
Climate change is “going to put our power infrastructure in a more vulnerable situation. And that jeopardizes reliable service for thousands of Massachusetts residents, which affects not only the cost that they pay in rates, but also their health and safety,” says Deanna Moran, Director of Environmental Planning at the Conservation Law Foundation.
“The tragedy in Texas is just the latest example of the climate crisis threatening critical infrastructure and endangering lives,” said Deanna Moran, Director of Environmental Planning at CLF. “To protect the public from these catastrophic impacts, investor-owned utilities must prepare for extreme temperatures, extreme precipitation, storms, and sea-level rise now. Taking the right steps now will avoid disaster down the road.”
From the second they are born to their last breath, North Atlantic right whales help our climate by making our ocean more resilient. We need to push for their protection so that they can do their part in helping to create a greater future for all.
In 2020, the EPA awarded CLF a DERA grant to partner with New York Cruise Lines, Inc. Grant recipient shares how this $1.8 million grant makes a difference for the community, the environment, and the cruise industry.
Bradley Campbell, president of the Conservation Law Foundation, said Baker was “reciting some of the hackneyed, false choices about adverse impacts to the economy or having to choose between addressing climate and having a sound economy when in fact, New England’s future economy depends on addressing climate change.”
Biden’s flurry of executive orders addressing climate change, conservation, and environmental justice has us optimistic. Now we must ensure his administration follows through and turns these orders into meaningful and actionable policy.
