Rep. Stanley signs Global Warming and Climate Change Resolution

 

On December 18, 2018, the Senate Committee on Global Warming and Climate Change and the House Committee on Global Warming & Climate Change held an oversight hearing to assess the status of emissions reduction in the Commonwealth. Climate experts provided testimony in the context of our latest statewide emissions data and recent reports by the International Panel on Climate Change and the U.S. Global Change Research Program that paint a stark picture of our not-too-distant future.

 

The message is clear: we are not on pace to meet our emissions reduction requirements and the devastating effects of climate change are even more urgent and imminent than originally anticipated In the absence of federal guidance, state-based initiatives continue to be our best recourse for preventing the worst effects of climate change.

 

In signing the resolution, legislators commit to updating our overall requirements to achieve net zero emissions 2050; eliminating the Net Metering Cap on Solar; raising the annual Renewable Portfolio Standard percentage increase; implementing intermediate greenhouse gas emissions requirements; requiring market-based compliance measures for the following sectors: transportation, commercial, industrial, institutional, and residential buildings; and allowing for the statewide procurement of 6,000 MW of offshore wind energy resources.

Rep. Stanley signs onto MS4 Municipal Assistance Grant

 

Rep. Stanley signed onto a letter supporting the Massachusetts Statewide Municipal Stormwater Coalition's application for the MS4 Municipal Assistance Grant. The coalition consists of 105 communities throughout the Commonwealth. The development and implementation of a statewide stormwater education and outreach program will have an immense benefit for our region and local communities. This project will help provide the support and guidance needed to meet permit requirements, while reducing the financial burden on towns and cities. We are excited that this grant will continue to support and build collaboration already being fostered by the statewide coalition to share resources, training, and best management practices related to stormwater management.

 

Rep. Stanley requests supplemental funding for LIHEAP

 

In a letter to Gov. Baker, Rep. Stanley and his colleagues requested $30 million for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP - otherwise known as fuel assistance) be included in the FY 19 Supplemental Budget that understand will soon submitted to the Legislature.

 

The federal funding formula for the LIHEAP program changed this year and Massachusetts does not benefit from this change. Massachusetts received a 7.6% cut in its federal fuel assistance allocation equaling $11 million. Over the past several years this federal resource to our state has already dropped from $200 million to $136 million. The additional $11 million decrease in funding, combined with bitter winter weather and steadily rising heating oil prices, makes staying warm this winter precarious for tens of thousands of vulnerable households. Predominantly, the folks who use fuel assistance are families with children, seniors, and veterans. The benefit levels have been reduced to account for this loss of funding.

 

Households that heat with delivered fuels, such as home heating oil, are particularly vulnerable. At $3 per gallon for heating oil (an increase of 30 cents per gallon over last year), the current fuel assistance benefit level will allow oil heat households to cover the cost of 1 and 3/4 tanks of oil - a real and dangerous problem when it takes 3-4 tanks to get a typical household through tough New England winters. When temperatures are below 10 degrees, heating systems run virtually nonstop. As a result, a household can go through 100 gallons in less than a week, maybe just 4 days. Most of the close to 48,000 Massachusetts LIHEAP oil heat households will have exhausted their benefit by the middle to end of January, leaving them in a perilous position for the rest of the winter. A community action agency in my district, Action Inc., already has clients, including a housebound 82 year old woman, who have reached their maximum benefit.

State Releases Recommendations Aimed to Move More People, Reduce Emissions

 

The Commission on the Future of Transportation in the Commonwealth released its two-part report on transportation needs and challenges facing the Commonwealth between 2020 and 2040. The Commission was established by Executive Order No. 579, signed by Governor Charlie Baker in January 2018, to provide recommendations to the Baker Administration on how to best account for potential changes in transportation in the future. The report considers complex factors affecting the future of transportation such as increasing electrification of the Commonwealth's transportation system, preparing transportation infrastructure for climate change and the intersection of land use, housing and transportation policies. The Baker Administration will now further review the recommendations made by the Commission and consider initial steps state agencies can take to achieve the goals of moving more people while reducing emissions in the Commonwealth's transportation system.

 

Governor Baker Appoints Warren Fields to Massport Board

 

Governor Charlie Baker appointed Warren Fields, Chief Investment Officer and founding partner of the Pyramid Hotel Group to the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) Board of Directors. Fields brings over two decades of experience in hospitality, business development, acquisitions and operations.

 

Warren Fields currently serves as Chief Investment Officer of Pyramid Advisors, LLC. Fields began his career Beacon Hotel Corporation, rising to become Vice President of development for Guest Quarters Hotels from 1994 to 1997 and later, Doubletree Hotels. In 1999, Fields formed Pyramid Hotel Group. As Chief Investment Officer and Founding Partner of Pyramid, Fields has overseen the growth of Pyramid's portfolio of over 70 hotels through development, acquisitions, third-party management and asset management for over 11 years. Fields earned his BS from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration in 1985.

 

Learn about winter home heating safety

 

Heating is a leading cause of home fires in Massachusetts. Use your home heating system and space heating appliances responsibly to keep warm and keep safe. Learn how to keep your family warm and safe this heating season. Click here for info.

Flu Season Arrives with Reminder to Get Vaccinated