Title: 2010 Q1 – Policy Update
Industry sector: Government
2010 Q1 – Policy Update
Climate and Energy Legislation
Since the beginning of 2010, the Council has stepped up its outreach to New England Senators of both parties in order to advance the passage of a comprehensive climate and energy bill that puts a price on carbon.
It is the Council’s firm belief that putting a price on carbon is essential to catalyze the innovation, development and deployment of clean energy technologies. With the certainty that only a long-term price signal can provide, the Council believes this is critical if investors and entrepreneurs are to make the commitment necessary to build our nation’s clean energy economy.
The Council further understands that New England will stand as a disproportionate beneficiary from the clean energy economy and is pressing this case with the region’s Senators. The Council has already met with Senators Brown (MA) and Gregg (NH) along with their respective staff, and is seeking further meetings with other members from the region.
The Council has also secured funding from the Green Tech Action Fund, the Rockefeller Family Fund, and NRDC to partner with We Can Lead, a national network of business leaders supporting comprehensive energy and climate legislation, to further its outreach efforts.
The Council's goal is to convince pivotal New England Senators that a “no” vote on a climate bill is a vote to suppress a powerful economic engine growing in the region. We’ve had meetings with Senator Scott Brown (MA) and Senator Judd Gregg (NH), and will be meeting with Senator Olympia Snowe (ME) and others in the coming weeks.
Clean Energy Innovation Consortia
In conjunction with its efforts to promote passage of a climate and energy bill, the Council continues to advance the Clean Energy Innovation Consortia project in Congress. In late January 2010, the Council brought together a group of ten consortia from around the country for a series of meetings with government officials in Washington, D.C. This included a Congressional Briefing put on by the Council with Senator Ron Wyden (OR) and Representative Ed Markey (MA) offering remarks to the assembled group.
Since that event, Senator Wyden has sponsored a Senate bill to provide funding through the Department of Energy to a number of energy innovation consortia throughout the country. This presents an exciting opportunity to enlist federal support for the idea of consortia and economic growth through cluster development.
Wind-Siting/Biomass Policy Statement
In addition to its federal advocacy efforts, the Council continues to support sensible wind-siting reform for Massachusetts, as prescribed in MA Senate Bill 2260. The Council also recently drafted a policy statement on Biomass, which is under review and should be posted to the Council's website shortly.