PROHIBIT FOSSIL FUEL INFRASTRUCTURE (S 1333) –

ALLOW CITIES AND TOWNS TO The Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy Committee held a virtual hearing on a measure that would allow cities and towns to require all new buildings, building construction projects or major renovation projects to be all-electric. The bill bans on-site fossil fuel infrastructure but does allow for natural gas and propane service if they are integral to the building’s function.

Sponsor Sen. Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton) said the bill will reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “This bill is in response to the attorney general’s ruling that municipalities did not have the legal authority to prohibit new fossil fuel infrastructure,” said Eldridge. “The gas and oil infrastructure that is installed today will keep us locked in for decades to come, so it’s critical that we take action now. If we are to reach the net-zero emissions target set in The Next Generation Roadmap Act, we must pass forward-thinking legislation that empowers municipalities to combat climate change.”