New England Clean Energy Council

The Council has been busy this past quarter with federal advocacy in support of climate and energy legislation that places a price on carbon. As we know from our members and our economic and policy analysis, putting a price on carbon is essential to catalyze the innovation, development and deployment of clean energy technologies. The New England clean energy community made its voice heard in May, when the Council brought over 50 executives and investors to Washington to make the case for climate and energy legislation this session.

Since then, the Council has accelerated its legislative efforts, meeting frequently with members of the New England Congressional delegation, from both parties. It has also made its case through op-eds, advertisements, and letters to New England Congressional Members.

As legislation begins to move in the Senate, the Council continues to leverage its increasing profile in Washington to advance policies that will accelerate the clean energy economy in New England and across the country.

The Council has partnered in these efforts with We Can Lead, a national network of business leaders supporting comprehensive energy and climate legislation, thanks to funding from the Green Tech Action Fund, the Rockefeller Family Fund, and NRDC.

To view the Council’s federal policy positions, click here.

Clean Energy Innovation Consortia

The Council was recently successful in getting language to fund pilot Clean Energy Consortia into the House reauthorization of America COMPETES that was recently passed. Since then it have been working with Senator Warner to include similar language when the Senate begins considering their version of the same bill.

At the same time the Council continues efforts to ensure that Clean Energy Innovation Consortia are included in any comprehensive Energy and Climate bill passed by Congress. At the moment it is working with Senator Wyden to introduce a version of Consortia that could end up in a Senate Energy bill.

State Policy

The Council continues to advocate for sensible wind-siting reform in Massachusetts, and the Policy Committee has submitted recommendations to the Massachusetts legislature and is analyzing state Solar REC regulations to encourage a balance of both small and large solar projects and acceleration of the overall renewable sector. The Council’s Policy Committee has subcommittees considering actions related to the TransCanada Power Marketing lawsuit and new Massachusetts regulations on the development of biomass energy.