Massachusetts House moves toward a vote on how to boost renewable energy

BOSTON (AP) — The Massachusetts House on Wednesday appeared poised to approve a bill that would help boost the state’s reliance on renewable energy, in part by streamlining the state and local permitting process for projects that shift the state away from using fossil fuels.

Wednesday’s debate comes just weeks after the Massachusetts Senate approved its own bill to help the state meet its climate goals, including reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Democratic Speaker Ronald Mariano said the House bill aims to increase the supply of clean energy through new renewable energy projects, more storage capacity and streamlined permitting.

The House measure would consolidate both state and local permitting and set 12- to 15-month limits for considering all final permitting decisions, echoing language in the Senate bill.

The House proposal also calls for procuring additional clean energy resources, including from existing nuclear generation, and allows future offshore wind and clean energy contracts to be extended up to 30 years. They’re now limited to 20.

The House is also considering letting companies that want to build small clean energy infrastructure facilities to submit a single permit application for all the approvals needed.

RELATED COVERAGE Massachusetts lawmakers reach compromise deal on gun bill Wind power operations off Nantucket Island are suspended after turbine blade parts washed ashore 2 men sentenced in 2021 armed standoff on Massachusetts highway

To encourage people to buy electric cars, the state Department of Energy Resources would be ordered to assess demand for vehicle charging stations along highways, major roadways and service plazas through 2045 and identify sites to create a statewide network of fast charging hubs.

“Siting and permitting is probably the biggest obstacle to us achieving our goals by 2050,” Democratic Rep. Jeffrey Roy told reporters.

The House and Senate must still hammer out a single compromise version of the bill to send to Gov. Maura Healey.

The Legislature’s formal session ends July 31, so a final bill would have to reach Healey’s desk by then.