“The good news is that Massachusetts state law prioritizes the development of solar energy facilities by zoning protections that limit undue interference by local governments. The better news is that Massachusetts has more than enough potential solar energy to support the decarbonization requirements required by state law.
The bad news? Some local governments are flouting the law and impeding development of solar energy. That is really bad news for Massachusetts, a state that was, in the words of John Adams, founded on the principle of a government of laws and not of men.
Massachusetts currently ranks 49th of the 50 states in the percentage of energy generated within our state borders. The New England region generated 52% of its electricity from natural gas, according to 2022 ISO New England data.
State climate action plans released in 2022 estimate that between 27 and 34 gigawatts of solar energy will be required in 2050 to reach decarbonization goals, or more than 10 times the amount of solar currently installed in Massachusetts.
The Department of Energy Resources recently issued a report that found the state’s land parcels possess about 15 to 18 times the solar energy potential needed to fulfill decarbonization targets by 2050.”
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Winslow, Dan. Amherst Recorder 20 July 2023.