Here's What That Late-Night Energy Bill is All About

BOSTON, MA — A sweeping energy bill passed in the waning hours of Massachusetts' legislative session Sunday opens the floodgates for what could be the largest off-shore wind energy installation in the country.

It was one of two major legislative actions taken in the final hours of this legislative session, which formally ended at midnight. The other big step was passage of a regulations package for mobile ride-hailing companies such as Lyft and Uber. Both emerged this weekend from a joint committee meant to resolve differences between Senate and House versions of the bill, and both now go to Republican Gov. Charlie Baker.

Many other would-be laws have been left by the wayside this legislative session.

The "Act to Promote Energy Diversity," approved by the Senate around midnight, also shifts the state's energy portfolio toward hydro-electric and wind-power, among other provisions.

The bill creates 15- to 20-year contracts for off-shore wind energy production, requiring that big utility companies buy about 1,600 megawatts of energy from them by June 30, 2027, at the latest.

Liz Burdock, executive director for lobbyist and advocacy group Business Network for Offshore Wind, wrote in an online post, "This is the first legislation of its kind that includes a specific carve out for offshore wind at a scale necessary to create a viable market in the United States."

European windfarm-building company Danish Oil and Natural Gas applauded the legislation's passage Monday, a boon to its bid to build and operate a windfarm off the southern coast of Martha’s Vineyard. In a press release, North American general manager Thomas Brostrøm called the bill's adoption "a landmark moment."

“This bill will allow the creation of a viable offshore wind energy industry here in Massachusetts, delivering cost effective clean energy, helping the state reduce greenhouse gas emissions," he said.

Massachusetts has some of the best offshore wind conditions in the world, according to the press release, sometimes referred to as the "Saudi Arabia of offshore wind." The push for offshore wind programs here by DONG Energy and similar companies is nothing new, but this legislation opens the door to realizing those projects for the first time.

Environmental advocates, although happy, were less than thrilled with the exclusion of a provision that would prevent utilities from passing increased wind energy costs on to customers, The Republic reports.

Additionally, according to the paper, there was a sense among advocates that the bill didn't go quite far enough when it came to solar energy, stopping gas pipelines in the state, and overall energy efficiency.

It quotes Senate President Stan Rosenburg, who called the bill "a step," but not a "leap forward," and offered his assurance the Senate would revisit those issues when its next two-year session begins in January.

>> Photo via DONG Energy