Green Communities Act Nov 7th

MMA announced:
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Nov. 7 session will explain Green Communities Act

The MMA and the Department of Energy Resources will present a comprehensive information session for local officials on the recently passed Green Communities Act on Friday, Nov. 7, in Sturbridge.

Department of Energy Resources Commissioner Phil Giudice will deliver the keynote address, and key department staff members will discuss proposed state regulations.

A break-out session on energy conservation will feature energy experts and discuss the town of Belmont’s efforts to implement an energy services company (ESCO) program.

Another session will cover renewable energy resources, highlighting the town of Hanover’s efforts to install wind power.

The Green Communities Act is a ground-breaking state law designed to dramatically increase energy efficiency and expand renewable energy investment in Massachusetts. The act presents significant opportunities for every municipality, including the designation of “Green Community” status to qualifying cities and towns. Eligible communities will have access to grant funding, state assistance, and special resources.

The newly expanded Department of Energy Resources will now include a Green Communities Division to provide technical and financial assistance to municipalities for energy efficiency and renewable energy efforts. The program will receive $10 million in funding from a variety of sources, including emissions allowance trading programs, utility efficiency charges, alternative compliance payments generated by the Renewable Portfolio Standard, and the Renewable Energy Trust Fund.

Breakfast will be served at the session, which will run from 8:30 a.m. to noon at Old Sturbridge Village. The cost is $25.

• Meeting agenda, registration information and directions

Massachusetts' Green Communities Act

MMA had this to say about the recently passed legislation:

Legislature enacts energy reform bill
Thursday, June 26 2008
The House and Senate have approved and sent to the governor a ground-breaking energy reform bill, the Green Communities Act.

The bill’s intent is to increase energy efficiency, update the renewable energy portfolio standard, increase public oversight of utilities, increase service quality of power companies, assist low-income energy customers, and increase the use of renewable generation and energy efficiency products.

After several months of negotiations over differences in House and Senate versions of the bill, the Senate approved a compromise bill (S. 2768) Tuesday, and the House approved it today.

House and Senate leaders struck language that would have preempted Home Rule authority with respect to the siting of certain clean energy facilities. Instead, the bill would establish a study commission that may make recommendations on the siting of such facilities.

The bill would establish a Green Communities program. A city or town that qualifies as a “green community” would be eligible for grants and loans to advance energy efficiency activities. Such assistance would be capped at $10 million per year and would principally be derived from funds generated by cap and trade pollution control programs, a mandatory kilowatt-hour charge on consumer bills, and the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust Fund.

In order to qualify as a “green community,” a city or town would have to:

• Provide as-of-right siting for renewable or alternative energy facilities in self-designated areas

• Adopt a streamlined permitting process to site such facilities

• Establish an energy use baseline inventory for municipal buildings and vehicles and reduce the baseline by 20 percent over five years

• Purchase fuel-efficient vehicles when available and practicable

• Require new residential and commercial construction to minimize, to the extent feasible, the life-cycle cost of the facility through energy efficiency and renewable and alternative energy technologies

The Green Communities program would be administered by the Division of Green Communities within a new Department of Energy Resources under the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs.

The division would serve as the principal contact between the state and municipalities on all energy-related matters under the jurisdiction of the Department of Energy Resources.The energy bill would also:

• Allow municipalities to construct, own and operate small renewable generation facilities to help control their energy bills

• Establish a Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Trust Fund to provide funds for the Green Communities program, to provide interest-free loans for for energy efficiency projects in municipalities that do not qualify as a “green community,” and to reimburse communities for property tax losses due to mandates of the Greenhouse Gas Initiative or the regulation of carbon dioxide emissions for electric generating stations

• Authorize municipal light plants to establish a “renewable energy charge” and enter into the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust Fund so customers may be eligible for grants from the fund for renewable energy projects

• Require local building inspectors to have a general knowledge of the energy requirements as part of the International Energy Conservation Code

• Establish several new processes for state and local entities to pursue solar energy and to procure energy management services for projects less than $100,000

• Allow communities to consider areas designated for Class I renewable energy facilities as a factor in designating a Economic Target Area

• Requires the Division of Green Communities to develop a competitive bidding process for the procurement of renewable or alternative electric generation for “green communities”

• Revise processes for state and local entities to procure energy management services

• Extend the financing term for municipalities for efficiency, alternative, or renewable improvements from 10 to 20 years

• Establish a special commission (with participation by the MMA) to investigate the development of “green building initiatives”

• Establish a special commission (with participation by the MMA) to make recommendations to improve the process by which a city or town may establish and operate a municipal-owned electric utility.

By MMA Senior Legislative Analyst Matthew G. Feher

AG Coakley ignores environmental costs

What a disappointment from AG Martha Coakley!

Oh, sure! Dirty Coal-Fired plants are so much cheaper!

Somerset, MA: Pauline vs. Dirty Coal

This is your Ash - your Coal Ash in Massachusetts.

BRAYTON POINT 190,000,000 POUNDS

SOMERSET 60,100,000 POUNDS

SALEM HARBOR 140,800,00 POUNDS

WEST SPRINGFIELD 40,000,000 POUNDS

MOUNT TOM 75,200,000 POUNDS



Is this what the AG is supporting?

One single accident, one single Coal Ash spill at one of these sites, similar to what occurred in Harriman, TN, will destroy a community.

‎~ 50% of our electric energy in the US comes from Dirty Coal Energy.

It is extremely cheap because they don't have to pay the environmental costs from coal ash spills or mountaintop removal.

+ 500 Mountains have been leveled for coal removal.

For the AG to arrive at this preposterous statement makes one wonder how uninformed she is and how selective in her cost assessment.

And Fracking? Yet another environmentally toxic solution that has destroyed drinking water and environments.

This is about sustainability. Our current path is totally unsustainable.




Green alert on Coakley
BY: Bruce Mohl

Attorney General Martha Coakley insists she is as green as ever, but environmental activists aren’t so sure after her recent testimony on the state’s three-year-old Green Communities Act.

Coakley warned lawmakers on Beacon Hill that the cost of implementing the law over the next four years will be $4 billion, resulting in a 7 percent increase in electricity rates at a time when the state’s economy is struggling to emerge from recession. “We need to fully consider these costs and work to reduce them,” she said in her prepared remarks.

The attorney general’s stark presentation set off alarm bells in the state’s environmental community. “She seemed to be taking aim at our green energy policies across the board,” said Sue Reid, director of the Conservation Law Foundation Massachusetts. Reid says she is arranging a meeting with Coakley to discuss her position.

Jeremy McDiarmid, Massachusetts director of Environment Northeast, said Coakley’s presentation emphasized the cost of the state’s green policies and largely ignored the benefits. “We need to be looking at both the costs and the benefits on an equal footing,” McDiarmid said. “We need a balance.”

Mark Sylvia, commissioner of the state’s Division of Energy Resources, disputed Coakley’s numbers. He predicted electricity rates will rise 2 to 3 percent over the next three years and consumers who take advantage of the state’s energy efficiency programs to reduce their consumption may actually see their electric bills drop. “It’s a great story,” he said of the Green Communities Act.

The attorney general says she remains a big supporter of the Green Communities Act, but she believes parts of the law need to be overhauled. She pulled her cost estimates from a chart buried in a strongly positive Patrick administration report on electricity market reforms. The chart indicates the cost of the state’s electricity initiatives will be roughly $1 billion a year for each of the next four years.

Coakley didn’t mention in her remarks that the same chart also estimated the benefits of electricity market reforms -- in the form of energy efficiency, renewable energy development, and energy innovation -- will hover around $2.5 billion a year. Coakley left that information out of her speech because those benefits accrue over a long time while the costs will be felt immediately.

“Going green, in the short run, is going to cost us,” Coakley said after a bill-signing this week.

To reduce those costs, Coakley is calling for increased competition and transparency, more cost efficiency, and fewer sweetheart incentives for utility companies. She said long-term renewable energy contracts should be bid competitively, an apparent dig at National Grid’s deal to buy Cape Wind power. She criticized financial incentives given to utilities to meet energy efficiency goals and to sign long-term renewable power contracts.

“We are also concerned with policies that favor more costly technologies and would like to see technology-neutral policies that ensure that the least expensive alternatives are implemented first,” she said.

Her comments on technology-neutral policies mimicked those of the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership, a group of the state’s top business executives. The group says Massachusetts can reach its green emission goals and save $10 billion by adopting a technology-neutral approach with renewable energy.

Under current law, many renewable power generators are subsidized by ratepayers. They are issued one renewable energy certificate, or REC, for each kilowatt hour of electricity they produce. They then sell their RECs to power sellers, who buy them in order to prove that they are meeting the state’s renewable portfolio standard, which currently requires that 10 percent of the electricity they sell come from renewables by 2015.

Under current law, power from wind, solar, small hydro, and biomass projects can be used to meet the renewable portfolio standard. The Massachusetts Competitive Partnership would like to add energy efficiency and big hydro to the mix, but exclude them from the REC subsidy program. In essence, the business officials would let utilities meet their renewable energy targets using energy efficiency projects and large-scale hydro power imports from Canada, which are substantially cheaper than wind and solar. “We think you should go to the lowest-cost alternative,” said Dan O’Connell, CEO of the partnership.

Sylvia, the DOER commissioner, doesn’t think the partnership’s plan would work. He indicated he would keep the existing regulatory system in place to support wind and solar power development while separately encouraging energy efficiency and the importation of large-scale hydro power from Canada.

The green debate is on.

Activists call on gov to close Somerset's Brayton Point plant, transition state away from coal

It's time!


Activists call on gov to close Somerset's Brayton Point plant, transition state away from coal

Dave Souza|Herald News

Local activists rallied at Kennedy Park, overlooking the Brayton Point Power Station, on Wednesday, calling on Gov. Deval Patrick to push for the closure of the plant’s coal-burning operation.

By Jo C. Goode

Herald News Staff Reporter

Posted Aug 16, 2012

Video

VIDEO: Coalition for Clean Air holds a rally

With the Brayton Point Power Station as a backdrop, a group of local activists rallied on the overlook at Kennedy Park on Wednesday to call on Gov. Deval Patrick to move the state away from coal and to help communities in economic transition as coal-powered plants shut down.

Organizers of the Coalition for Clean Air South Coast also announced that 100 local business owners in Fall River, New Bedford, Swansea and Westport pledged support of the group’s initiatives, which include shutting down Brayton Point Power Station’s coal-burning operation by 2020.

“We want to see Brayton Point Power Station commit to make a transition away from coal, but we don’t think they will do it on their own and that’s why we are looking for Gov. Patrick’s support,” said Sylvia Broude, of Toxics Action Center.

Patrick signed the Global Warming Solutions Act into law in 2008, making Massachusetts one of the first states in the nation to move forward with a comprehensive regulatory program to address climate change and greenhouse gases.

Brayton Point Station, the largest power station in New England, was purchased in 2005 by Dominion, a national company that produces gas, nuclear, LNG and coal power along the eastern seaboard.

In 2010, the power station was deemed by the EPA as the largest polluter in New England and responsible for nearly half of all mercury emissions in the state.

Westport resident David Dionne, of the Coalition for Clean Air, told about 25 supporters the state has one of the highest rates of childhood asthma in the country.

“The emissions of burning of coal has a direct link to the incidents of asthma. We are here today to reduce those numbers and we’re going to do it by eliminating that coal pile,” Dionne said, pointing across the Taunton River to the Brayton Point Station site.

The country is still in the dark ages when it comes to producing electricity, said Al Lima of the Coalition for Clean Air and Green Futures, who questioned why the country won’t move away from coal power.

“The answer is we lack the political will to go beyond coal. We know how to do it but we are stuck in the status quo. We are here today to go beyond coal. We are here today to demand that Gov. Patrick take action to adopt clean resources of power, to implement energy conservation measures and to free us from the scourge of dirty coal,” Lima said.

The Patrick Administration is committed to an aggressive clean energy agenda by enacting nation-leading policies to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy and Massachusetts and New England, said spokesman Reginald Zimmerman in an email.

“In addition to signing the Green Communities Act, which fosters increased energy efficiency, Gov. Patrick has also signed into law the Global Warming Solutions Act, creating the most ambitious greenhouse gas emission reduction initiative in the country. These policies are driving our clean energy revolution and will deliver environmental and economic benefits for generations to come, ” Zimmerman said.

When Brayton Point Power Station was purchased by Dominion, $1.2 billion in environmental improvements were put in place, said Brayton Point Power spokeswoman Lisa Lundy, and the plant meets all federal environmental regulations.

“We are very much in compliance and our goal is to be a reliable producer of electricity while protecting the environment,” Lundy said.

As coal-burning power plants shut down throughout the state — the Salem Harbor Coal Plant is slated for closure in 2014 — communities face the loss of jobs, municipal revenues and property redevelopment.

The closing of the Somerset Station in 2010 is a perfect example of how a former pollution-generating, coal-fired power plant may be redeveloped into an oceanic research facility — a current proposal by developers of the property — said Broude, who called the proposal “an ambitious but realistic plan.”

Dionne said it’s crucial to change the paradigm of reliance on the coal-burning power plants that operate in communities to green industry that will produce jobs, economic development and tax revenue.

“This is the perfect place for the state to get involved, it is really an example of what we’re talking about. The state has the opportunity to help Somerset with that transition,” Dionne said.

Neighbors and local activists who fought against Somerset Station for years are credited with shutting down the coal-burning operation, once included on the “Filthy Five” list of the worst-polluting plants in the state.


Read more: http://www.heraldnews.com/news/x2038877262/Activists-call-on-gov-to-close-Somersets-Brayton-Point-plant-transition-state-away-from-coal#ixzz2464dUTqU

Kudos to Beacon Hill on Global Warming Act!

Special thanks to all on Beacon Hill for ushering the Global Warming Act through the loops of both houses before the midnight recess!

This represents an important first step!

Massachusetts Environment:

Massachusetts State House Passes Global Warming Solutions Act

Bill would make the Commonwealth a Leader in Global Warming Solutions

Boston- Last night the House of Representatives unanimously passed a revised version of the Global Warming Solutions Act, a bill that will make Massachusetts a national leader in implementing global warming solutions and commit the state to making the pollution reductions that scientists say are necessary to avoid the worst impacts of global warming.

Speaker DiMasi and Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Ian Bowles developed the revised global warming bill. The bill will now head to the Senate, which has already approved a similar measure and is expected to act quickly on this new version.

“Late last night the Massachusetts State House joined the Senate in passing landmark global warming legislation. This bill, along with the Green Communities Act-- which was recently signed into law-- shows that Massachusetts is committed to making our state the hub of clean energy and global warming solutions” said Ben Wright, Global Warming Advocate with Environment Massachusetts. “We applaud the bold leadership of the Governor, Speaker DiMasi, Senate President Murray, Senator Pacheco and the hundreds of house and senate members that made this bill possible. Today’s action comes not a moment too soon."

The bill empowers the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs to regulate green house gasses from all sources across the commonwealth, mandates a reduction of 80% below 1990 levels by the year 2050 and instructs the administration to develop a shorter-term goal of between 10% and 25% below 1990 levels by they year 2020 as well as targets for 2030 and 2040.

“With the news reporting another major ice sheet breaking off the arctic shelf and in the light of continued federal inaction on this critical issue, today’s action by the house sends a loud and clear message to the rest of the country, and the rest of the world, that Massachusetts will be part of the solution” said Wright.
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Taunton Gazette article

National Retailers Want Ban on Banning Products

Massachusetts communities have acted to BAN products when Beacon Hill genuflected to lobbyists and failed to act.

How many decades has Massachusetts waited for the Bottled-Up Expanded Bottle Bill?

Now lobbyists want to prevent communities from reducing their municipal waste.

Will Beacon Hill genuflect yet again?

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! 

If Beacon Hill refuses to act, don't prevent local communities from doing so.

National retailers want a state law to prevent local town bans on their products

Reps Peake and Turner speak on issue - Bans already on plastic bags, single-serve bottles in several Massachusetts communities

Article | Business | July 23, 2013 - 3:10pm | By Colleen Quinn, State House News Service

 

National retailers want a state law preventing local communities banning plastc bags, bottles, etc.

 

Retailers look to force a state approval for locally imposed product bans

Plastic bottles, polystyrene, Styrofoam, single-serve bottles are already banned in some Massachusetts communities.

As more communities decide to ban consumer products like plastic bags, Styrofoam, plastic water bottles or certain sized sodas, retailers want the Legislature to step in to stop a practice they say is a burden to businesses.

Jon Hurst, a spokesman for the Retailers Association of Massachusetts, called it a "disturbing" trend of local communities banning consumer goods, without any input at the state level, citing Concord's ban on bottled water, proposals in Cambridge around soda sizes and a voter-approved ban on polystyrene in Brookline.

Hurst argues the bans are driven by outside activists groups trying to circumvent the Legislature and push their agendas at the local level, which they perceive as the "path of least resistance."

 

And what are they if not outsiders?

First town in nation to ban plastic bottles

Concord became one of the first communities in the nation to ban single-serving plastic water bottles after a three-year campaign by activists. The ban went into effect in January.

Last November Brookline town meeting voters overwhelmingly approved a prohibition on disposable polystyrene, also known by its trademarked name Styrofoam, for food and beverages packaged in food service establishments.

"There are groups that actively train folks to create support" within communities for their agendas,
Hurst told the News Service Tuesday after testifying before the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government. 

 

Instead, lobbyists stroke egos on Beacon Hill to get their agendas passed without outside input.

Bans put local retailers at competitive disadvantage

The bans hurt local retailers and put them at a competitive disadvantage because they drive consumers to stores in neighboring communities, Hurst said. He questioned whether the bans are legal under interstate commerce laws.

"We are a state that has so many communities. It really becomes a problem if a product is banned in one community, but not next door," Hurst told the News Service.

The Retailers Association is pushing a bill (H 1832), filed by Rep. Paul Donato (D-Medford), that would require communities that pass a ban to take the proposal to the Legislature in the form of a home rule petition. Under the legislation, communities could still pass bans, but the Legislature would have the final say, according to Hurst.

"As retailers, that would give us two bites at the apple," Hurst said.

The legislation states "a city or town may not make any rule, regulation, ordinance or by-law interfering with interstate or intrastate trade or commerce or regulating any product or consumer good, and provided further, that no language in this section shall restrict the authority of any city or town from filing a home rule petition."

Similar legislation failed last year

Similar legislation failed to make it out of committee last legislative session.

Often, when consumer goods bans are passed, it happens very quickly, and is already done by the time national and state retailers find out, according to Hurst.

The Retailers Association has not heard from any communities that oppose the legislation, Hurst said, and no local officials testified against it Tuesday. "I think a lot of them would welcome it frankly," he said.

Two Cape legislators have their say

Rep. Cleon Turner (D-Dennis) said he thought the legislation was broad enough to include things that cities and towns have already banned, such as lottery tickets and alcohol. Hurst said that was not the intent, adding if the bill needed to be tweaked the association would be amenable to that.

"The intent is really to move forward," Hurst said. "We are trying to get at the types of products that are primarily regulated at the federal level, and secondarily at the state level."

Committee co-chair Rep. Sarah Peake (D-Provincetown) suggested communities may feel forced to ban goods on their own.

"I'm sure if you talk to people in Concord they would say 'We wouldn't have banned bottle water if the Legislature would just get busy and pass the updated bottle bill,'" she said.

Related Content:

 

Local researchers find much floating plastic debris in Atlantic

Too Much Plastic!

You’re Kidding - Eliminate Aluminum Foil and Plastic Wrap?

Bag it

February 20 - Today in Cape Cod History

Reduce Your Plastics Usage [Green with Betsy]

 

 

http://www.capecodtoday.com/article/2013/07/23/20636-national-retailers-want-state-law-prevent-local-town-bans-their-products

 

 

Completion of Largest Solar Facility in New England

WMECo Celebrates Completion of Largest Solar Facility in New England
2.3 MW Indian Orchard facility is the Company's second large-scale project

SPRINGFIELD, Mass., Dec. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Western Massachusetts Electric Company (WMECo) today celebrates completion of its second large-scale solar energy facility in the Indian Orchard section of Springfield. The facility features 8,200 solar panels and produces 2.3 megawatts (MW) of electricity.

WMECo officials joined local and state officials in celebrating the transformation of the former foundry site into a clean, renewable energy facility. The Indian Orchard facility joins WMECo's Silver Lake Solar facility in Pittsfield as one of the largest in the Northeast region and is the largest in New England.

"WMECo continues to demonstrate that large-scale solar can be developed and delivered in a cost-effective manner for our customers," said Peter J. Clarke WMECo president and chief operating officer. "These projects represent significant progress toward meeting the Commonwealth's renewable energy goals and diversifying the region's energy supply with non-carbon-emitting fossil fuels," Clarke said.

"I'm very pleased to be here with Peter Clarke and other WMECo officials today to make this great announcement," stated Mayor Domenic J. Sarno. "This continues to build on my Administration's vision for green economic development. Seven months ago we were standing on a remediated brownfield site. Today, this site is now a tax-generating property and is home to the largest renewable energy facility in New England. I appreciate WMECo's continued collaboration with the City of Springfield," added Mayor Sarno.

The project brought nearly $12M of new construction to the region and is will contribute $400,000 of annual property tax revenue to the City of Springfield. Springfield is one of the two Gateway Communities in WMECo's service territory and is home to approximately 65,000 WMECo customers.

"Investments in renewable energy cut long-term energy costs, create local jobs and bring us closer to meeting our statewide clean energy goals," said Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Richard K. Sullivan Jr. "We have 67 megawatts of solar energy installed statewide--equal to the amount of electricity used by 10,600 households annually--and this project builds on this accomplishment by keeping this economic opportunity here in the Commonwealth."

The Commonwealth has a goal to install 250 MW of solar generation by 2017. Under the landmark Green Communities Act (GCA), each Massachusetts electric utility may own up to 50 MW of solar, subject to approval by the Department of Public Utilities (DPU).

Western Massachusetts Electric Company, a Northeast Utilities company /quotes/zigman/236013/quotes/nls/nu NU -0.11% , serves approximately 200,000 customers in 59 communities throughout western Massachusetts and is committed to the environment, economic development and the health of the communities it serves. For more information about WMECo, visit our Web site at www.wmeco.com . Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

SOURCE Western Massachusetts Electric Company

Phase out coal and beat back fracking

Consider lending your support to these issues --

"Phase out coal and beat back fracking."
That's the message we're asking you to send your state legislators before 4:00 p.m. Friday, February 4.

Please call or email your State Senator or Representative and ask them to co-sponsor two bills: Representative Lori Ehrlich's Act to Phase Out Coal-Burning in Massachusetts and Representative Sean Garballey's Act to Regulate Hydraulic Fracturing.

About half the electricity we generate in Massachusetts comes from natural gas, and much of that natural gas gets to the surface via a process called hydraulic fracturing (or fracking) which contaminates drinking water. The Act to Regulate Hydraulic Fracturing would require power companies to certify that their natural gas meets safe drinking-water standards and force them to disclose the chemicals they used to extract the natural gas.

The Act to Phase Out Coal-Burning wold make power companies retire or repower their coal-burning plants by 2020. The bill would also set up a Community Repowering Fund to help plant-workers and surrounding communities if a company chooses to retire (i.e. close down) a facility instead of repowering it to cleaner energy.

Together these two bills would push us closer to the goal of being fossil-fuel free by 2050. Please contact your state legislators today and ask them to sign on as co-sponsors. Tell them you want Massachusetts to phase out coal and beat back fracking.


Beat Back Fracking in Massachusetts

Targeting: The MA State Senate and The MA State House
Started by: Peter Vickery
In Massachusetts, natural gas is the source of about half of our electricity. We have a responsibility to ensure that the drilling companies that extract the natural gas from underground use methods that are safe and that they publicly disclose the chemicals they use in the process.

Natural gas may be cleaner than coal, but that doesn't mean it's clean. Getting natural gas out from underground by the process called hydraulic fracturing (or fracking) can pollute the air and poison people's drinking water. Drilling companies don't even have to tell us what chemicals they're injecting into the ground to force the gas out. Dangerous unregulated fracking is a public health hazard and it has to stop.

Although dangerous unregulated fracking doesn't happen in Massachusetts, there is something we can do to stop it. We can require the power companies to certify that the natural gas they use in Massachusetts complies with the federal Safe Drinking Water Act's underground injection control program requirements.

Until Congress did the industry a huge favor by creating a loophole in 2005, those federal regulations covered fracking. Closing that loophole at the federal level is essential. But we can't afford to wait for Congress. We have to get to work at the state level.

That's why it's so important for the Massachusetts Legislature to pass the Act to Regulate Hydraulic Fracturing, which would require power companies to (a) publicly disclose all the chemicals that the drillers used in obtaining the natural gas, and (b) certify that the extraction process complied with the Safe Drinking Water Act's underground injection control program requirements, the rules that used to regulate fracking before 2005.

By signing this petition we're telling Massachusetts lawmakers to ensure that the natural gas coming into the state was extracted safely and that the public knows what chemicals the drilling companies used in the process.

For the sake of clean air and safe drinking water, let's beat back fracking in Massachusetts!

The Bay State Push to Move Away From Coal


The Mount Tom coal plant in Holyoke, Massachusetts poses an interesting ethical quandary. On the one hand, it annually pumps about 1 million tons of toxic CO2 into the increasingly fragile atmosphere. On the other hand, it generates 146 kilowatts of much-needed electricity, keeps about 50 people gainfully employed, and contributes nearly $2 million to the community in taxes.

What’s the best course of action in this case? Shut down the plant and cut electricity, jobs and tax revenue? Or keep it open and contribute to global warming?

A new bill introduced in Massachusetts says the answer should actually be neither. Rather than forcing the state to close the coal plant, its supporters want Mount Tom to switch to renewable energy sources or natural gas. Peter Vickery, one of the bill’s proponents, and the creator of a petition on Change.org, puts the mission simply: “Keep Mount Tom open, but minus the coal.”

This highly sensible tenet is one of many in the so-called Act to Phase-Out Coal Burning in Massachusetts, which also asks for the closure or conversion of all other Bay State coal-burning plants (there are currently two others alive and kicking, one of which is already scheduled for closure). For instance, the deadline it sets for change is 2020—giving plant owners a more-than-reasonable time frame to figure out logistics. And if a plant gets shuttered rather than converted over, it asks for a Community Repowering Fund to help laid-off employees and the local community get back on their feet.

In an op-ed, Vickery also tackles the inevitable question of will it work? He provides detailed examples of other plants that have successfully made the toxic-to-green leap, including four in Colorado, one in Minnesota, and one in Mount Tom’s backyard.

But what’s really reasonable about the legislation is its central motive: prevent coal from wreaking havoc on the ecosystem. Vickery notes that coal makes up roughly one-third of the U.S.’s total CO2 output. And on her official website, the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Lori Ehlrich, says virtually all of the coal burned in Massachusetts is imported from other states or countries, and is often mined under dangerous conditions.

Combating this, while also keeping precious jobs in place and the fragile economy in balance, seems like an easy win-win—which is probably why more than a thousand people have already e-mailed Mount Tom’s owners, GDF Suez, asking for a conversion. It also explains why the legislation has elicited the support of groups including the Sierra Club, the clean-energy labor organization GreenWork, and Neighbor to Neighbor, a group that serves low-income communities. Even more promising? All that support has come in advance of the campaign’s official kickoff during a public meeting February 23.

Vickery, a master's degree candidate at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst's Center for Public Policy and Administration, says the goal of the act is to spur “clean-energy innovation and job creation.” It’s nice to know there’s no reason we have to choose between the two.

Support jobs and the environment by signing Vickery's petition to support the Act to Phase Out Coal Burning in Massachusetts.

Energy and Demand Response

In response to Massachusetts' Green Communities Act , the following comment was posted:

George Murphy said...
It's great that they're working on a bill for residents in the community, but they should also try to focus on nonresidential buildings who are inefficient. These businesses, hotels, and schools are using the most energy, and by being forced to consume less energy and implement a demand response solutions, it could really help.

Nonetheless, great post, the Bill sounds great!
Tuesday, 01 July, 2008

Middleboro Review said...
Mr. Murphy, You didn't indicate if you were connected with EnerNOC or live in the area, but the introduction to the organization is appreciated.

A search of MR will indicate that I have posted comments about municipal energy consumption, building waste previously and successfully ruffled many local feathers.

Middleboro spent millions restoring an Historic Town Hall, but failed to insulate or install storm windows (or address glazing in any fashion). It's a magnificent building, worthy of preservation that houses 12 employees. The entire 2nd floor is a 2 story auditorium that is not isolated from HVAC.

The school department of an abutting city, Taunton retained a firm to save energy costs and realized $570,000 the first year.

Other towns surrounding Middleboro have taken proactive steps to reduce their energy costs and generate their own alternative power.

But Middleboro seems reluctant to save money or examine the issue.

Maybe some leadership is required or the costs need to increase more.

On the Environmental Stewardship page of EnerNOC, the following was included:

EnerNOC also offers our employees hybrid car subsidies and energy efficiency incentives to promote intelligent energy use. Employees who purchase hybrid cars receive monthly subsidies. With EnerNOC’s Green Green! program, EnerNOC encourages employees to install compact fluorescent light bulbs, commute environmentally (walk, bike, take public transportation, car pool, or drive a hybrid), replace old appliances with energy efficient equivalents, conduct home energy audits, and influence family and friends to follow EnerNOC’s environmental stewardship.

Sounds great to me!

I hope you'll continue to contribute other information you are aware of.

EnerNOC has a great deal of information about demand response that Middleboro might consider employing.

A proactive approach to reducing personal and municipal energy costs seems sorely needed.

Three reasons Cape Cod (and Middleboro) air sucks

As Ben Wright, an advocate at Environment Massachusetts said:

“The least polluting, cheapest energy is the energy we never have to produce in the first place”

Interesting stuff below highlighting where poor air quality comes from.

Who ever thought SEMASS was such a Big Producer, impacting our air quality?

Three reasons Cape Cod air sucks
Power plants to the west of Cape Cod are the largest industrial sources of greenhouse gas emissions linked to climate change in the state, according to new data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

MetroWest News offers a list of the state's worse polluters, and three of the worse are downwind from Cape Cod.

SEMASS Resource Recovery Facility, Wareham, a 95-acre facility which burns trash collected by about 60 cities and towns in southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod to generate power.

Dominion’s Brayton Point plant in Somerset (just over the Braga Bridge in Fall River) pumps out 5.8 million metric tons of the gas a year.

Cape Cod Canal Power Plant Unit #1 is representative of the most efficient fossil fueled plants of the 1970 era. It's an oil fueled super-critical steam unit optimally designed to best operate between half load and full load.


Report: Power plants pollute
By David Riley/Daily News staff
MetroWest Daily News

Power plants throughout eastern Massachusetts are the largest industrial sources of greenhouse gas emissions linked to climate change in the state, according to new data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The information comes from a website the EPA unveiled in January, publicly detailing for the first time emissions reported by the largest producers of carbon dioxide and related greenhouse gases in nine major industries.

All the top 10 sources of carbon dioxide emissions in the Bay State are power plants, including natural gas-fired facilities in Salem, Weymouth, Bellingham and Cambridge. The largest single producer of greenhouse gases in New England is the Brayton Point power station in Somerset, which is largely fueled by coal.

Similarly, the data shows power plants are the largest direct source of greenhouse gases nationwide.

Several owners defended local facilities, saying they take steps to be environmentally responsible, are highly efficient in meeting energy needs or turn waste into energy.

“It’s not a surprise that where you burn fossil fuel to make into electricity that is used every day to make our life a little better, you’re going to see carbon dioxide emissions,” said Jim Norvelle, a spokesman for the power company Dominion.

Dominion owns Brayton Point and the Salem Harbor power station, also one of the top 10 sources of greenhouse gases in the state. The Salem plant is set to close in 2014.

Norvelle noted there are no federal controls on carbon emissions, but Massachusetts is one of nine northeastern states that require power plants in the region to buy emission allowances. States use the proceeds help fund renewable energy initiatives.

Ben Wright, an advocate at Environment Massachusetts, said the new data from the EPA can help further develop the state’s plans to tackle carbon emissions.

“More data means we know better how to curb our greenhouse gas emissions,” he said. “You can’t reduce what you haven’t measured.”

The EPA’s new greenhouse gas inventory covers facilities that produce upward of 25,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. That does not include emissions from agricultural operations, nor small-scale sources that add up, such as cars and trucks.

But the data from 2010 represents the vast majority of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., the EPA said. The agency said it was required to collect the data, which is from 2010, under a 2008 federal law.

The data can help businesses track and compare emissions in order to find efficiencies and inform state and federal environmental policy, the EPA said.


The agency is expected to propose limits on greenhouse gas emissions from new or upgraded power plants some time this year.

Overall, Massachusetts fared far better than much of the U.S., ranking 40th out of the 50 states and Washington D.C. in total carbon emissions. The five states with the highest emissions were Texas, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida.

Wright said Massachusetts has made headway in reducing emissions. In addition to participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the state Green Communities Act set a goal of getting at least 25 percent of the state’s power from renewable sources by 2030. It also established energy efficiency initiatives to cut power use.

“The least polluting, cheapest energy is the energy we never have to produce in the first place,” Wright said.

The state Global Warming Solutions Act also calls for cutting greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, Wright said.

Here’s a look at some of the largest producers in the state:

Fore River Station, Weymouth

The Fore River power plant generates about 787 megawatts of power, according to its owner, Constellation Energy. It is the third highest direct source of greenhouse gas emissions in the state, producing 1.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2010, according to EPA data.

SEMASS Resource Recovery Facility, Wareham

This 95-acre facility burns trash collected by about 60 cities and towns in southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod to generate power.

Owner Covanta Energy, which also runs three other waste-to-energy plants in the state, views its operation as a type of renewable energy. SEMASS manages about 1 million tons of waste per year, said Covanta spokesman James Regan.

The SEMASS facility produced about 890,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2010, according to EPA data. Covanta officials pointed to EPA studies indicating that waste-to-energy operations are a low source of carbon emissions nationwide.

Overall, carbon emissions from waste-to-energy plants are about half that produced by coal-burning plants, said Mike Van Brunt, Covanta’s director of sustainability. The process further cuts emissions by keeping trash out of landfills, where it produces methane, another greenhouse gas, he said.

“For every ton of waste we keep out of a landfill, we prevent all of the methane generation,” Van Brunt said.

The operation also recycles metals that otherwise would have to be mined anew, Regan said.

Salem Harbor

The Salem Harbor power station generates about 745 megawatts, enough to power about 186,000 homes, according to Dominion. The plant sits on 65 acres on the city waterfront.


The facility produced 1.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2010, according to the EPA data. That is far less than Dominion’s Brayton Point plant in Somerset, which pumped out 5.8 million metric tons of the gas the same year.

The facility uses three coal-fired generating units and one fueled by oil. Dominion is shutting down the plant and already closed two of its coal-burning units in December. The facility will close altogether in June 2014.

Norvelle said the company has made no plans for the future of the site. City officials have pressed Dominion to clean up the site.

Kendall Cogeneration Station, Cambridge

The Kendall Cogeneration Station has a production capacity of 256 megawatts, according to its owner, GenOn Energy.

The First Street facility produced roughly 717,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2010, according to EPA data.

The facility uses natural gas as its primary fuel, with oil as a backup. The plant produces two forms of energy — electricity and steam, which is sold for heating and cooling, according to GenOn.

The company is constructing a new steam line allowing it to sell commercial steam to downtown Boston, said GenOn spokeswoman Paige Kane.

Check out the EPA’s greenhouse gas inventory at ghgdata.epa.gov.

Read more: http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/x123147680/Report-Power-plants-pollute#ixzz1lWIQ2S2i

MBTA: Toward a Coal Free T

Kudos to the MBTA for moving away from Dirty Energy and in the direction of Clean Energy and alternatives (Circulated by Sierra Club).

Click on the link and take a look at Massachusetts' Senator Scott Brown's anti-environment vote.

Thank you for taking action in asking Richard Davey, the new Secretary of MassDOT, for a Coal Free T. Below is a message that he asked to be share with the nearly 850 people that took action in asking him to repower the MBTA with clean energy.


Thank you, -Drew


Drew Grande
Sierra Club - Beyond Coal Campaign
Associate Organizer
10 Milk St, Suite 632
Boston, MA 02108


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: General Manager's Office

Thank you for your email regarding my appointment as Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of MassDOT. I also appreciate that you acknowledged the investments made by the MBTA to become a cleaner and more energy efficient organization. I want to assure you that the MBTA will continue to identify opportunities to consume less energy and improve the air quality in the communities served by the Authority.

I am pleased to inform you that on September 7, 2011, the MBTA Board approved a new Power Supply Agreement that will run through December 31, 2015. This agreement is the MBTA’s most progressive energy procurement to date. For the first time, the Authority will purchase Renewable Energy Certificates for 20% of its power requirements. This purchase supports Governor Patrick’s renewable energy initiatives and acknowledges the MBTA’s commitment to improving the environment.

On a separate track, the MBTA will look into pursuing the procurement of solar and/or wind power to meet a portion of its energy needs. We are also upgrading the lighting in five of the MBTA’s facilities as part of the NStar’s Utility Rebate Program. By having these facilities in this program, we expect an annual energy saving of 1.6 million kW hours/year and a cost savings of $206,000/year. Additionally, the Authority achieved budgetary efficiencies by implementing an Environmental Management System that includes recycling programs for electronics, metals, waste oil, cardboard, and newspapers.

Again, I appreciate you taking the time to bring your concerns to my attention. We are committed to identifying projects and opportunities to reduce our consumption of electricity. Furthermore, the MBTA will continue to strive to deliver service in an environmentally friendly matter and become more fiscally responsible in its consumption of natural resources. I also believe that the MBTA’s effort align perfectly with Governor Patrick’s Executive Order #484 (“Leading By Example), the GreenDOT Policy, and Federal Green Communities Act of 2009.

I am looking forward to working with the Sierra Club and other stakeholders in my new role as MassDOT Secretary as we work to provide more environmental benefits to residents of the Commonwealth and lead the nation in transportation excellence.


Sincerely,

Richard A. Davey
MassDOT Secretary & CEO

Regional Energy Roundtables #2

Massachusetts Attorney General, Martha Coakley, has made available (in pdf format) the informational pamphlet that was distributed during the Roundtable Meeting on the Attorney General of Massachusetts web site containing energy resources.

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Transcriptions of the roundtable will be posted on the site as well and energy strategies will be added.

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Included with energy considerations was the Plymouth Fire Chief Bradley who addressed the recent increase in alternative methods of heating that puts homes and residents at risk. It's always helpful to be reminded of the risk of fires and carbon monoxide poisoning. For anyone unfamiliar with the recently changed codes, carbon monoxide detectors are now mandatory. It might be helpful if the Middleboro Gas & Electric included warnings or some other effort were made to remind residents.

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Three members of Plymouth town government, including Brian Kuhn, Chairman of the Energy Committee, Richard Quintal, Chairman, Board of Selectmen, Bill Driscoll, Chairman, Finance Committee explained the actions Plymouth has taken to address demand side energy, in other words, energy conservation.

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It was estimated that the School Department has reduced their costs by $750,000 to $1 Million with thermostats, shutting off lights and motion sensors, shutting off computers and other non-capital intensive measures.

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I have previously posted reports by experts indicating that 20-30% of energy consumption is simply wasted energy. This is the so-called 'low hanging fruit' we can all take advantage of, beginning with CFLs (compact fluorescent lights), programmable thermostats, energy efficient appliances.

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On the Supply Side, Plymouth's 2020 program will coincide with their 400th Anniversary with a goal of 100% municipal energy generated by alternative energy sources.

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Plymouth's efforts began with changes to their zoning by-laws to allow erection of wind turbines. While not every town enjoys this advantage, it's worth consideration. As the cost of roof top wind turbines declines, there may be marginal locations that are viable.

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There are currently 15 wind projects in various stages of consideration/permitting in Plymouth, including the waste water treatment plant (RFP currently on hold), South High School, County Prison and Farm. Photovoltaics are being considered at the landfill. Consideration is being given to a Plymouth Power Authority for the sale of power. (It was pointed out that under the Green Communities Act, there is a net metering cap currently 1%.)

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A No Idle Policy was implemented and consideration is being given to purchase of fuel efficient vehicles and elimination of reuse of police cruisers by other departments when it's affordable.

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An energy audit of all municipal buildings revealed that the library was the biggest energy user. Each of the buildings has been audited in a step-wise fashion and a facility and vehicle audit is underway of the Fire Department.

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It is hoped that the planned film studios will be the first green studios in the nation.

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Bill Driscoll raised the issue of considering conservation land purchases to include provisions that would allow the land to accept renewables and indicated that the Finance Committee cut the energy budgets of municipal departments to send a message.

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Cape Cod Today, SHNS: What's ahead in state government this week 2/20 is New England Cheese Day

What's ahead in state government this week

2/20 is New England Cheese Day

ARTICLE | POLITICS | FEBRUARY 13, 2016 06:00 AM | BY STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

- See more at: http://www.capecodtoday.com/article/2016/02/13/228005-Whats-ahead-state-government-week#sthash.NS5ewasT.dpuf

The Legislature appears to be sticking with its annual approach to school vacation week, which is to stay away from Beacon Hill. The House and Senate have pushed four major bills into conference committees and await resolutions on all of those issues. Supporters of a solar energy bill say the industry is suffering due to the impasse over that legislation, which on Thursday will mark its third month in closed conference talks. Set back by a snowstorm this week, legislators will also restart their formal review of Gov. Charlie Baker's $39.55 billion fiscal 2017 budget proposal, with a hearing on health and human services issues and spending on Tuesday in Springfield. The House and Senate plan informal sessions only and few hearings, which will clear the way for "in the district" time for lawmakers. It also affords time for politics and campaigning. The March 1 Bay State presidential primaries are less than three weeks away, but candidates are focused on Nevada and South Carolina presently. When they shift their attention to Super Tuesday, Massachusetts may not be the first state on their travel plans. The other states holding presidential primary voting that day are Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Virginia. Governors will flock to Washington, D.C. next weekend where presidential politics are sure to make for good bar chatter. The winter meetings of the National Governors Association coincides with separate gatherings of the Republican and Democratic Governors Associations. Baker staff couldn't immediately say whether the governor planned to attend.

SATURDAY, FEB. 13, 2016

NINTH GOP PREZ DEBATE: Republicans presidential candidates jockeying for their party's nomination will gather for their ninth debate in the state that will hold the third contest on the road to the GOP convention. The debate, hosted by CBS News, is the first to follow the New Hampshire Primary. CBS News "Face the Nation" anchor John Dickerson will moderate the debate and will be joined by CBS News White House Correspondent Major Garrett and The Wall Street Journal's Kimberly Strassel as panelists. (Saturday, 9 p.m., Peace Center, Greenville, South Carolina)

MOULTON IN IPSWICH: Congressman Seth Moulton will hold a "Congress on Your Corner" district event at Ipswich Town Hall. Moulton and his staff will talk with constituents. (Saturday, 10 a.m., Meeting Room C, 25 Green St., Ipswich)

MOULTON IN NEWBURYPORT: Seth Moulton continues his district tour with a "Congress on Your Corner" event at Caffe Di Siena in Newburyport. The freshman congressman and his staff will take constituent questions. (Saturday, 11:30 a.m., 33 Pleasant St., Newburyport)

MOULTON IN NORTH ANDOVER: Congressman Seth Moulton rounds out his Saturday "Congress on Your Corner" tour with a stop at the North Andover Senior Center. Constituents will have the opportunity to talk with Moulton and his staff about issues with federal agencies. (Saturday, 1 p.m., 120 Main St., North Andover)

SUNDAY, FEB. 14, 2016

ANALYZING THE N.H. PRIMARY ON "KELLER": WBZ's Jon Keller welcomes back Charley Manning and Joanna Weiss on his program "Keller at Large" to discuss the results of the New Hampshire primary and it's impact on the state of the race. (Sunday, 8:30 a.m., WBZ-TV Ch. 4)

PALEOLOGOS GOES "ON THE RECORD": WCVB's Ed Harding and State House Reporter Janet Wu welcome David Paleologos, director of political research at Suffolk University, on "On the Record." Paleologos will analyze the New Hampshire primary results and explain what it means for the candidates in the weeks ahead, including when Massachusetts goes to vote on Super Tuesday on March 1. (Sunday, 11 a.m., WCVB-TV Ch. 5)

MONDAY, FEB. 15, 2016

PRESIDENTS DAY: School vacation week kicks off with the joint celebration of George Washington's and Abraham Lincoln's birthdays. Technically Washington's Birthday, Congress enacted it as a federal holiday in 1879. The Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968 moved observances from Feb. 22 to the third Monday of the month. Massachusetts state law calls the day Washington's Day and provides separately for a Lincoln Day proclamation on Feb. 12. Under the Mass. General Laws, "Presidents Day" is May 29 -- John F. Kennedy's birthday -- and is set aside to the memory of the four Bay State presidents: John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Calvin Coolidge, and JFK. (Monday)

DEMS DAY OF ACTION: The Massachusetts Democratic Party is seeking to drum up support for two Democratic candidates for state representative facing Republican challengers on March 1. The party, in an email to supporters, said it needs to activate its grassroots network "if we are going to fight back against Gov. (Charlie) Baker and outside spending from his Republican allies." The party is asking supporters to volunteer to either knock on doors or make phone calls Mondayfor candidates Tom Walsh (running for the 12th Essex District seat vacated by former Rep. Leah Cole) and Stephen Hay (running for the 3rd Worcester District seat vacated by now-Fitchburg Mayor Stephen DiNatale). More information is available at www.MassDems.Org. (Monday)

PRESIDENTS DAY AT THE JFK LIBRARY: The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum hosts a Presidents Day festival with actors portraying Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and John and Abigail Adams. The event will close out with a performance by the Harvard Din & Tonics, featuring Kennedy campaign songs. (Monday, 10 a.m., John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, Columbia Point, Boston)

BUMP ON THE RADIO: Auditor Suzanne Bump is a scheduled guest on "Monday Night Talk" with Kevin Tocci and Joe Rossi. (Monday, 6:20 p.m., WATD 95.9 FM)

TUESDAY, FEB. 16, 2016

HOUSE AND SENATE: Both branches meet in informal sessions at 11 a.m.

POLITO RALLIES FOR GOP STATE COMMITTEE CANDIDATES: Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and other elected officials will participate in a pre-election rally for Republican State Committee candidates Reed Hillman and Lindsay Valanzola. Hillman, a former candidate for lieutenant governor, and Valanzola, a founding member of the Wales Republican Town Committee, are among the candidates Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Polito have endorsed for state committee. Hillman and Valanzola are running for state committee seats in the Worcester Hampden, Hampshire Middlesex Senate district. Stephanie Fattman, Jennie Caissie, Worcester County Sheriff Lew Evangelidis, Rep. Susannah Whipps-Lee, Rep. Todd Smola, Rep. Donnie Berthiaume, Rep. Paul Frost, Rep. Kim Ferguson, and Rep. Sheila Harrington are also scheduled to participate. State committee elections will take place March 1 and coincide with the Massachusetts presidential primary. (Tuesday, 4:30, Oliver Wight Tavern, Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge)

NATIONAL GRID PRESIDENT ON THE RADIO: National Grid President Marcy Reed is scheduled to talk with Dan Rea on "NightSide." (Tuesday, 9 p.m., WBZ NewsRadio 1030)

WAYS AND MEANS BUDGET HEARING: The Department of Children and Families, a focus of recent budgets including Gov. Charlie Baker's House 2, will be among the agencies under review by the House and Senate Ways and Means committees. Impeded by last week's snow, the budget-writing committees will hold their first hearing on the annual spending bill outside the State House when they visit Springfield Technical Community College. Other agencies scheduled to testify are the Office of Refugees, the Commission for the Blind, the Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the Rehabilitation Commission, the Department of Transitional Assistance and the Department of Youth Services. House Ways and Means Assistant Vice Chairman Benjamin Swan, of Springfield, and Sen. Benjamin Downing will chair the hearing - one of five scheduled for outside the State House. (Tuesday, 10 a.m., Springfield Technical Community College, Scibelli Hall, seventh floor, Springfield)

DISPENSARY RIBBON CUTTING: Patriot Care opens its Lowell medical marijuana dispensary, the fifth to open in Massachusetts, with a ribbon cutting. The same company plans to open dispensaries in Greenfield and Boston later this year. (Tuesday, 11 a.m., 70 Industrial Ave. East, Lowell)

EXPANDED RECYCLING BRIEFING: Sen. Michael Moore and Rep. Mark Cusack will host a seminar on a bill (H 646) they filed which seeks to expand recycling in Massachusetts by making money available to cities and towns to upgrade their recycling infrastructure, and by creating a private sector-subsidized recycling fund. Mike Parkowski from the Delaware Solid Waste Authority will present results from Delaware's implementation of a similar law. Kevin Dietly from Northbridge Environmental Management Consultants will also address attendees. (Tuesday, 11 a.m., House Members Lounge)

RESPIRATORY CARE BOARD: The Board of Respiratory Care meets with an agenda that includes discussion of draft policies on unlicensed practice and its probation practices. The board will also meet in an executive session to "evaluate the reputation, character, physical condition or mental health, rather than professional competence, of licensee(s)" who are requesting a change in license status. (Tuesday, 1 p.m., 239 Causeway St., 4th floor, Room 417, Boston)

WESTBOROUGH DEMOCRATS HOLD "CONVERSATION ON THE MUSLIM ISSUE": The Westborough Democratic Committee will host a meeting where they will discuss the effect of recent "anti-Muslim, anti-immigration, and anti-minority" discourse. The discussion titled "Conversation on the Muslim Issue," will be led by Nazda Alam, Chair of the Muslim Voter Registration Project. Alam was Congresswoman Katherine Clark's guest at President Barack Obama's State of the Union address in January. (Tuesday, 7 p.m., Tatnuck Bookseller, 18 Lyman Street, Westborough)

CONGRESSMAN MOULTON RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN KICK-OFF: Congressman Seth Moulton kicks off his 2016 reelection campaign with an event at Finz Seafood in Salem. According to the invitation, the event will feature special guests, giveaways as well as appetizers and refreshments. The event is free. | RSVP and Event Information | For questions contact Jake Grader: jake@sethmoulton.com or at 781-910-4010 (Tuesday, 6 p.m., Finz Seafood and Grill, 76 Wharf Street, Salem)

HEALEY PARTICIPATES IN WINTER BASKETBALL CLINIC: Attorney General Maura Healey will play basketball with elementary and middle school students at an annual winter basketball clinic hosted by Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey. (Tuesday, 9:30 p.m., Stoughton High School Gymnasium, 232 Pearl St., Stoughton)

HEALEY GOES TO COURT IN SOMERVILLE: Attorney General Maura Healey will play basketball with female students in fourth through seventh grade at a clinic sponsored by Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone and the Somerville Recreation Department. (Tuesday, 6 p.m., Somerville High School gymnasium, 81 Highland St., Somerville)

GREEN COMMUNITIES GRANTS: Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton, Energy Resources Commissioner Judith Judson and Green Communities Director Dan Knapik will join Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito to award Green Communities designation grants to central Massachusetts cities and towns. (Tuesday, 3 p.m., Holliston Town Hall, 703 Washington St., Holliston)

ROSENBERG ON MERRIMACK VALLEY AIRWAVES: Senate President Stanley Rosenberg will call in to WCAP Radio 980 AM in Lowell for an interview. (Tuesday, 7:45 a.m., 980 AM)

SENATE PRESIDENT ON HERALD RADIO: Senate President Stanley Rosenberg sits down in studio with Hillary Chabot and Jaclyn Cashman for a live interview on Boston Herald Radio. (Tuesday, 9 a.m., 70 Fargo St., Boston)

BAKER AT POZEN PRIZE CHARTER EVENT: Gov. Charlie Baker joins Secretary of Education Jim Peyser to attend the announcement of the Boston Foundation's Pozen Prize for Charter Schools finalists - Match Charter School in Boston and the Community Charter of Cambridge. The Pozen Prize, named for philanthropist Robert Pozen, is an annual award to recognize a Boston-area charter school "for sustained academic excellence," according to the Boston Foundation. The $80,000 prize will be awarded in June. (Tuesday, 12 p.m., Grand Staircase)

AUBURN COMMUNITY COMPACT: Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito meets with local officials in Auburn and signs a community compact with the town. (Tuesday, 10:30 a.m., Auburn City Hall, 104 Central St., Auburn)

FRAMINGHAM AND HOLLISTON COMMUNITY COMPACTS: Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito meets with local officials and signs community compacts with Framingham and Holliston. (Tuesday, 11:30 a.m., City Hall, 475 Union Ave., Framingham)

MEDFIELD COMMUNITY COMPACT SIGNING: Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito meets with local officials and signs a community compact with Medfield. (Tuesday, 1:30 p.m., Town House, 459 Main St., Medfield)

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 17, 2016

HEARING FOR OUIMET-ROOKE: The Governor's Council meets to consider the confirmation of Michele Ouimet-Rooke, Gov. Charlie Baker's nominee for a judgeship at Springfield District Court. Ouimet-Rooke, who works as a litigation attorney at the Springfield law firm Doherty, Wallace, Pillsbury & Murphy, began her legal career in 1989 as a victim/witness advocate in the Hampden County district attorney's office, a job she held for 10 years, according to her resume. She later was promoted to assistant district attorney working at Springfield District Court and then as chief prosecutor in Chicopee District Court. The eight-person elected Governor's Council will likely vote on Ouimet-Rooke's confirmation the following week. (Wednesday, 11 a.m., Room 360)

DYSLEXIA LEGISLATION BRIEFING: Decoding Dyslexia Massachusetts will hold a briefing on dyslexia legislation during its lobbying day at the State House. Rep. Alice Peisch, co-chair of the Education Committee, and Sen. Barbara L'Italien will speak. Peisch last year filed a bill (H 463) "to ensure that each student enrolled in a school district is screened for potential indicators of dyslexia or other reading disabilities." L'Italien is the sponsor of another bill (S 312) regarding children with dyslexia. Both bills have remained in the Education Committee since a hearing last June. Other speakers will include Dr. Nadine Gaab, associate professor of pediatrics at Boston Children's Hospital and the Harvard Medical School and a faculty member at the Harvard Education School; and Dr. Roberto Olivardia, instructor in psychology at McLean Hospital. (Wednesday, 11 a.m., House Members' Lounge)

ROLE OF RELIGION IN POLITICS: Host Dan Rea poses the question, "What is the role of religion in politics?" on NightSide. (Wednesday, 8 p.m., WBZ NewsRadio 1030)

IS GOVERNING POSSIBLE?: Former Houston Mayor Annise Parker leads a talk titled "Is Governing Possible?" Parker, who served three terms, will discuss the interplay between governing and politics and her theory that governing is "the oldest profession." Parker will also discuss her own career arc from "lesbian activist" to a power broker. (Wednesday, 4 p.m., Littauer Center, Kennedy School, Cambridge)

VETERANS SMALL BUSINESS WORKSHOP: The New England Veterans Business Outreach Center will host a pilot workshop for veterans and military spouses interested in starting their own business. Registration (Wednesday, 5:30 p.m., Roxbury Innovation Center, Venture Cafe, 2300 Washington St. - 2nd floor, Roxbury)

DRAPER LABS GROUNDBREAKING: Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash attends the groundbreaking ceremony for the Draper Laboratory atrium. (Wednesday, 11 a.m., Draper Laboratory, 555 Technology Sq., Cambridge)

GLOBAL BUSINESS ALLIANCE: Assistant Secretary of Business Development Nam Pham provides opening remarks at the Global Business Alliance of New England's 22nd annual International Networking Evening and Business Forum. The event will also feature a panel of 10 consuls general discussing international business trends and opportunities, and Michael Goodman, chair of UMass Dartmouth's Department of Public Policy, will give an economic outlook. (Wednesday, 6 p.m., 1 Federal St., Boston)

POLITO AT LGBT EVENT: Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito offers remarks at a LGBT Business Builder Program event hosted by the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. (Wednesday, 8:15 a.m., U.S. Small Business Administration district office, 10 Causeway St., Boston)

GOVERNOR'S COUNCIL: Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito chairs a meeting of the Governor's Council. (Wednesday, 12 p.m., Room 360)

PUBLIC EDUCATION RALLY: As part of a national day of action, students, parents and teachers organized by the Boston Education Justice Alliance will rally in front of City Hall and march to the State House to protest cuts to public education funding. The group plans to present city officials with a petition urging them to stop budget cuts in the Boston Public Schools. (Wednesday, 10 a.m., Boston City Hall)

WYNN-SUFFOLK TRADE PARTNER INFO SESSION: Wynn Everett and Suffolk Construction will hold a mandatory information event for potential project bidders on the casino-resort project. Interested trade partners will be able to ask questions of Wynn and Suffolk representatives and learn how to get pre-qualified.Registration required by end of Monday (Wednesday, 9 a.m., Everett High School, 100 Elm St., Everett)

BUMP ON 'MORNING MEETING'| Auditor Suzanne Bump talks with Hillary Chabot and Jaclyn Cashman on Boston Herald Radio's "Morning Meeting." (Wednesday, 9:30 a.m., 70 Fargo St., Boston)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY ADVISORY COUNCIL: Department of Energy Resources Commissioner Judith Judson chairs the Energy Efficiency Advisory Council. (Wednesday, 1 p.m., 100 Cambridge St., 2nd floor, Rooms B & C, Boston)

BERKSHIRE GAS HEARING: The Department of Public Utilities will hold a public hearing on the petition of The Berkshire Gas Company for approval of four-year agreement for firm liquefied natural gas service with GDF Suez Gas NA LLC. (Wednesday, 2 p.m., One South Station, 5th floor, HR C, Boston)

THURSDAY, FEB. 18, 2016

HOUSE AND SENATE: Both branches meet in informal sessions at 11 a.m.

HEALEY VISITS COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER: Attorney General Maura Healey will tour Lynn Community Health Center and speak with staff about the opiate epidemic. (Thursday, 3 p.m., Lynn Community Health Center, 269 Union St., Lynn)

HEALEY KEYNOTES LGBT EVENT: Attorney General Maura Healey will deliver the keynote address at the annual North Shore Pride LGBT Professional Networking event. Healey is expected to focus her remarks on LGBT owned businesses, according to the state Democratic party. | RSVP | More Information | (Thursday, 5:45 p.m., Davensport Yacht Club Ballroom, 161 Elliot St., Danvers)

IN-HOUSE COUNSEL SEMINAR ON CHAPTER 93A: Michael Gilleran, author of "The Law of Chapter 93A," will present at a "93A University" in-house counsel seminar hosted by Burns & Levinson. The program will cover drafting of contracts to limit 93A risks. According to event organizers, Gilleran's book is "frequently cited and followed by Massachusetts courts." Registration (Thursday, 7 a.m., 125 Summer St. - 8th floor, Boston)

CONGRESSMAN LYNCH ON GREATER BOSTON: Congressman Stephen Lynch is a scheduled guest on Greater Boston with host Jim Braude. (Thursday, 7 p.m., WGBH-TV Ch. 2)

BAKER HITS THE AIRWAVES: Gov. Charlie Baker will join Boston Public Radio co-hosts Jim Braude and Margery Eagan as a guest for their "Ask the Governor" series. (Thursday, 12 p.m., WGBH-TV Ch. 2)

MEDWAY POWER GENERATION FACILITY HEARING: The Department of Public Utilities will hold a hearing on the petition of Exelon West Medway LLC and Exelon West Medway II LLC to construct and operate a 200-megawatt generating facility on Summer Street in Medway. (Thursday, 10 a.m., One South Station, 5th floor, HR A, Boston)

POLITO DEDHAM & NEWTON COMMUNITY COMPACT: Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito will attend a community compact signing for the town of Dedham and city of Newton. (Thursday, 9 a.m., 1000 Commonwealth Avenue, City Hall, Newton Centre)

POLITO COMMUNITY COMPACT SIGNING IN BRAINTREE: Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito will attend a community compact signing for the city of Braintree. (Thursday, 10:15 a.m., 1 John F. Kennedy Memorial Drive, Braintree)

POLITO AT COMMUNITY COMPACT SIGNING IN FOXBOROUGH AND EASTON: Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito attends a community compact signing for the towns of Foxborough and Easton. (Thursday, 11:30 a.m., 40 South Street #1, Town Hall, Foxborough)

POLITO AT COMMUNITY COMPACT SIGNING IN ROCHESTER: Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito will attend a community compact signing event in the town of Rochester. (Thursday, 2:45 p.m., Constitution Way, Town Hall, Rochester)

FRIDAY, FEB. 19, 2016

IWO JIMA COMMEMORATION: Those who survived the carnage of the Battle of Iwo Jima more than 70 years ago will be honored at a State House ceremony. The event is being hosted by the Marine Corps League Metrowest Detachment 1037. After fighting across the Pacific Ocean, the United States military wrenched the island away from Japanese forces over 36 days of a battle that killed 6,800 American and 19,000 Japanese fighters, according to the U.S. Marine Corps History Division. Iwo Jima provided the U.S. airstrips to launch attacks against Japan. A collation with lunch and refreshments in the Great Hall will follow the ceremony. (Friday, 11 a.m., Memorial Hall)

SCHOOL GARDENS CONFERENCE: The Mass. Horticultural Society will hold a "Cultivating Community in School Gardens" conference at its Elm Bank headquarters. Workshops will cover best practices for planning a school garden in the region to "endure seasons and administration changes." Other emphasized benefits will include educational value and subsequent healthy produce for schoolchildren. Schedule | Registration (Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., The Gardens at Elm Bank, 900 Washington St., Wellesley)

ROSENBERG ON W. MASS. TV: Senate President Stanley Rosenberg joins host Chris Collins for an interview on Frontier Community Access. (Friday, 2 p.m., 8 COnway St., South Deerfield)

ROSENBERG 'FROM THE STATE HOUSE': Senate President Stanley Rosenberg tapes an episode of "From the State House" on Greenfield Community Television. The episode is expected to air on GCTV on Feb. 23 at 6:30 p.m. and again on Feb. 26 at 4 p.m., according to Rosenberg's office. (Friday, 3:30 p.m., 393 Main St., Greenfield)

TRANSMISSION LINE HEARING: The Department of Public Utilities will hold a hearing on the petition for approval to construct and operate two new underground 115-kV transmission lines and new substations in the cities of Boston, Everett and Chelsea. (Friday, 10 a.m., One South Station, 5th floor, HR A, Boston)

SATURDAY, FEB. 20, 2016

GOP SOUTH CAROLINA PRIMARY: Republican presidential candidates will see if their impact following New Hampshire's contest and their ability to woo primary voters in South Carolina pays off Saturday. Businessman Donald Trump, the winner of the New Hampshire primary, still commands a lead in the polls and has so-called establishment candidates jockeying hard for second or third place win to help carry them into subsequent contests. The field of candidates has significantly trimmed down since the Iowa and New Hampshire contests, with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina as the latest to suspend their campaigns. Polls in South Carolina are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m, according to the state's election commission. (Saturday Feb. 20th, South Carolina)

NEW ENGLAND CHEESE DAY: Local cheesemakers will gather at Russell's Garden Center for New England Cheese Day to sell their wares and offer samples. (Saturday, Feb. 20, 10 a.m., 397 Boston Post Rd., Wayland)

DEMOCRATIC NEVADA CAUCUS: While Republican presidential candidates await results in the South Carolina Primary, Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders will be awaiting a critical vote count of their own in the Nevada caucuses. Sen. Sanders is hoping for turnout levels like that in New Hampshire,
which helped catapult him to victory. Coming off an overwhelming loss in New Hampshire, Clinton is aiming to fend off another defeat in a state where she narrowly won the popular vote in 2008 against then Sen. Barack Obama. (Saturday Feb. 20, Nevada)

TALKING FISHING AT THE BIG E: Department of Fish and Game Commissioner George Peterson will participate in a panel discussion about the department's programs and outdoor recreational opportunities at the Springfield Sportsmen's Show at the Big E. (Saturday, Feb. 20, 2 p.m., 1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield)

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State House News Service

The State House News Service has covered Massachusetts government news since 1911.

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