Current bills under consideration -
"An Act to Create a Repower Massachusetts Emergency Task Force"
The bill was introduced on December 7, 2009 to accelerate the response of Massachusetts to the threat of global climatic disruption. If passed, the resulting task force will make recommendations on how the Commonwealth should reach the goal of repowering the state with 100% clean electricity in the next 10 years. See fact sheet below:

Two key global warming bills signed by the Governor
1. Global Warming Solutions Act
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. Legislation.

2. Energy/Green Communities Bill
Overall the bill is a positive step forward in helping Massachusetts capture energy efficiency savings and expands our renewable energy capacity. You can find the bill online.

The bill could have been better though; the bill allows for coal gasification projects to receive public subsidies through the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard. Instead of requiring coal gasification projects to operate as cleanly as a new combined cycle natural gas power plant, they only have to operate as cleanly as an average natural gas plant. Some other states don't even allow baseload power plants to be built unless they meet a more stringent standard than this, so it is disappointing that Massachusetts would set a lower bar for such projects to qualify for incentives. However, the bill does include some important protections, including a requirement for carbon capture and sequestration.

See the links below for more details about global warming resources:

• Legislation
• Related websites
• Statement of conscience