Happening today
8:00 | Attorney General Campbell delivers the keynote address at an Associated Industries of Massachusetts Executive Forum. The business group says it expects Campbell to discuss "economic mobility and empowerment; the intersection of public safety and public health; and protecting youth and elders." AIM President Brooke Thomson will host a conversation with Campbell after the prepared remarks. At.Point32Health, 1 Wellness Way, Canton
9:00 | Edward M. Kennedy Institute hosts an event commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, which quelled decades of unrest in Northern Ireland. Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate, 210 Morrissey Blvd., Boston
9:30 | Mayor Wu delivers remarks at the Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery’s 33rd Recovery Month celebration. At Parkman Bandstand, Boston Common, 139 Tremont St, Boston
10:45 | Gov. Healey signs an Executive Order creating the Commission on Clean Energy Infrastructure Siting and Permitting and swears in members. Energy & Environmental Affairs Secretary Tepper participates. At Governor’s Ceremonial Office
1:00 | Gov. Healey appears live on Ask the Governor with GBH.Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston Street, Boston
An unusual mix of influential Bay Staters representing everything from electric utilities and agricultural interests to environmental justice advocates and labor organizations will all be sworn in today with the same goal — overhauling the process through which clean energy infrastructure projects are permitted, which advocates and industry professionals alike say are in need of major re-drafting.
Gov. Maura Healey first promised to create the Commission on Clean Energy Infrastructure Siting and Permitting in April, as an essential step to help the state reach its target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and Healey’s own pledge to achieve 100 percent clean electricity supply by 2030.
Despite lofty goals, so far, there have been growing pains in the energy transition away from fossil fuels.
Major offshore wind projects have terminated thousand-megawatt contracts that would have brought electricity to the state, and energy developers and state regulators have come under fire for locating an electrical substation — a critical piece of energy infrastructure — in the environmental justice community of East Boston.
Though utility companies, developers and environmental and social advocates have clashed over the right way to build Massachusetts’ clean energy sector, everyone seems to agree the permitting and siting process needs improvement.
“No one thinks the current system of permitting is great,” said David Melly, legislative director for the Environmental League of Massachusetts. “There are improvements to be made. What we have not yet come to a consensus on is where to make those improvements or where we can find common ground to move forward. So I think this provides a forum to have those really tricky conversations, and hopefully it’s going to be really productive in the long term.”
It is an arduous and lengthy process to upgrade electric grid infrastructure, and projects are often met with community pushback and sometimes with litigation.
The state will need to site a significant amount of new energy infrastructure to meet its legally mandated climate targets — and not just power generation through wind and solar. Massachusetts will also need infrastructure to store, transport and distribute renewable power if it plans to make it a viable alternative to fossil fuels.
According to Healey’s office, the new members to be sworn in this morning include representatives from municipalities, climate and land use organizations such as Mass Audubon and Conservation Law Foundation, utility companies, including Eversource and National Grid, and others.
Legislature closer to requiring disclosure of some private company salary data
Massachusetts is moving toward requiring that businesses with 25 or more employers disclose salary ranges if they advertise job openings. A measure that cleared a key legislative hurdle Monday also would require that employers with 100 or more workers submit wage data to the state.
Cambridge Democrat pushes forward with statewide rent control effort
Cambridge state Rep. Michael Connolly is moving forward with his effort to put a ballot question reinstating rent control before voters in November 2024 and has hired a staff member for the effort, the Boston Globe reports. The paper also reported that some liberal Democrats who like the concept of letting communities implement rent control for the first time since voters killed the practice in 1994 think the timing is wrong for a new vote.
Panel to vote Tuesday on moving personal care worker wage to $25 an hour
Legislators are scheduled to vote Tuesday on a measure advocates say would move the pay for unionized personal care workers to $25 per hour, or about $52,000 annually for a full-time worker. The Healey administration already has agreed in principle.
Biden Administration says federal shutdown would jeopardize Mass. kids’ food…
The Biden Administration says 100,000 women and children in Massachusetts and 7 million nationally could face hunger if the federal government shuts down because of the lack of a funding deal with Congress. The federal government if funded through the end of September.
And some 60,000 jobs in New England
The civilian federal workforce is 24,500 in Massachusetts alone, the Boston Globe reports,
Federal judge sides with town that fired teacher of pre-hiring social media remarks
A federal judge Monday dismissed a lawsuit brought by a former Hanover teacher who argued that she should not have been fired from her position for remarks she made on social media before she was hired. In its synopsis of the ruling, Universal Hub reported that the judge agreed with the town’s argument that students ought not be taught by a teacher who was critical of them based on group identity.
Widett won’t work: Mayor, governor shoot down proposed Mass and Cass solution
A plan to address the crisis at Mass and Cass by relocating a homeless encampment to Widett Circle appears to be dead on arrival, with both Gov. Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu saying it won’t work. Wu notes the Widett Circle land is not under city control while Healey’s office raised public safety concerns stemming from the nearby heavy rail.
Bourne wants state advice on enforcement of motel-stay limit
The Bourne Board of Health says it will enforce a local rule limiting motel stays to three weeks for now, but is open to advice from the state on how to move forward in handling the 50 migrant families currently being housed in Bourne motel rooms, Paul Gately of the Cape Cod Times reports.
Dighton chief resigns in face of insider-trading charges
Dighton Police Chief Shawn Cronin will step down at the end of this week, about three months after he was one of several people charged in an alleged insider-trading scheme. Cronin has been on leave since he was indicted on federal charges that he aided a scheme that earned him and others $2.2 million in unlawful profits.
Worcester loses an overnight shelter as nonprofit shrinks
A Worcester nonprofit that works to move women out of prostitution has shut down the 15-bed overnight shelter it operated starting in 2021, laying off staff and changing its name amid a funding crunch that stems in part from a loss of direct support from the city’s budget.
Taunton landfill solar array finally approved. How much money will the city make?
The Taunton City Council has agreed to lease part of the city’s landfill to a solar-farm developer, a deal that will mean millions to the city over the next three decades, though not as much as originally hoped. The Gazette’s Daniel Schemer has the details.
Democrats approve plan to enlist veteran delegates
Christian Wade of the Eagle-Tribune explains how the Mass. Democratic Party’s decision to allow service veterans to be considered for add-on delegate slots at future conventions is part of a larger push being championed by U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton to make the party more friendly to those who have served in uniform.
More Headlines
Harvard Tells Alumni Interviewers Not to Consider Race and Ethnicity of Class of 2028 Applicants
From police to public works, Boston ponies up $2.1 million in discrimination payouts this year
Mystery life sciences firm asks developer to triple size of Worcester project
Beverly voters to choose mayoral finalists
4 overdoses in 24 hours in Quincy; police send out warning
A tool for housing municipal employees
Nichols College president banned from Coast Guard Academy grounds amid new allegations
Saugus officials spar over marijuana report
As government shutdown looms just days away, no agreement is in sight