WM Solar Forum Session 1: Solar in Massachusetts – Past, Present, and Future
Agenda and Recording
|
Time |
Item |
Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00-12:15 | Welcome, Logistics, Introduction to Forum. | Moderator: Dwayne Breger, UMass |
| 12:15 – 12:35 | Keynote Remarks from the State | Melissa Hoffer, Climate Chief Rebecca Tepper, EEA Secretary |
| 12:35 – 1:00 | Federal Context and Perspective | Nicole Steele, Juan Botero, Anna Balzer, DOE SETO |
| 1:00 – 1:30 | MA Clean Energy and Climate Plans 2030/2050 | Katherine Antos, EEA |
| 1:30-1:40 | Q&A from Attendees | Dwayne Breger, Moderator |
| 1:40 – 1:50 | BREAK | |
| 1:50 – 2:15 | DOER Technical Potential of Solar Study | Elizabeth Mahony, MA DOER |
| 2:15 – 2:40 | Solar Basics – Technology, Policy, Markets | Kathleen Doyle, SEBANE |
| 2:40-2:50 | Feedback/Q&A | Dwayne Breger, Moderator |
| 2:50-3:00 | Wrap-Up | Dwayne Breger, Moderator |
Session 1 Recording with ASL: coming soon
Session 1 Transcript - English
Session 1 Transcript - Spanish
Presentations
- Keynote Remarks from the State: see recording
- Steele, Botero, Balzer: Federal Context and Perspective
- Antos: MA Clean Energy and Climate Plans 2030/2050
- Mahony: DOER Technical Potential of Solar Study
- Solar Basics – Technology, Policy, Markets: see recording
Speakers
Moderator: Dwayne Breger, Director, UMass Clean Energy Extension
Dwayne Breger is an Extension Professor in Environmental Conservation and Director of the Clean Energy Extension. The Clean Energy Extension (CEE) is part of the broad Extension programs central to UMass’ mission and supports state goals to accelerate clean energy markets in Massachusets through market outreach, technical assistance, workforce training, and applied research. Prior to coming to UMass in 2015, Dwayne spent 13 years as the Director of Renewable Energy for the MA Department of Energy Resources. Currently, he serves on the Energy and Climate Action Commitee and chairs the Solar Bylaw Working Group for the town of Amherst.
- Anna Balzer, Solar Community Engagement Coordinator, Boston Government Services | U.S. Department of Energy | SETO EERE
Anna Balzer joined the Solar Energy Technologies Office in June 2021 as the Solar Community Engagement Coordinator for the National Community Solar Partnership. In this role, she provides technical support for stakeholder engagement and communications to grow the reach and impact of the program. Anna is an AmeriCorps Alumni with roots in community engagement, education, and youth leadership development. Prior to joining DOE, she served in and managed the Youth Energy Squad, an AmeriCorps program in Detroit, Michigan, that engages young people in place-based education and leadership on energy burden reduction in their communities. Anna holds a master’s in public affairs from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s in environmental studies from the University of Colorado Boulder. - Melissa Hoffer, Climate Chief, Massachusetts’ first-ever Climate Chief. She joined the Biden Administration as a Day 1 political appointee, serving as the Acting General Counsel and Principal Deputy General Counsel of the Environmental Protection Agency. She led the EPA’s Office of General Counsel through the transition until November 2021 and continued to serve as Principal Deputy General Counsel.
- Rebecca Tepper, EEA Secretary, joined the Office of Attorney General Maura Healey, first serving as Deputy Chief of EEB and Chief of AG Healey’s Energy and Telecommunications Division before being appointed Chief of the Energy and Environment Bureau. During her time at the AG’s office, she advised on energy policy and served as the state’s ratepayer advocate before regulators and courts. Prior to joining the AG’s Office, Tepper was General Counsel to the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU), serving as the chief legal advisor and overseeing all DPU adjudicatory and rulemaking proceedings. Tepper also served as Director of the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board and represented the state on the Eastern Interconnection States’ Planning Council.
- Nicole Steele, DOE SETO, a nationally recognized leader and expert in clean energy with a focus on frontline communities and workforce development. She has 20 years of experience working with government officials, policymakers, advocates, and entrepreneurs to develop and implement inclusive clean energy policies and programs.
- Katherine Antos, EEA, the Undersecretary for Decarbonization and Resilience at Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. She leads efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve Net Zero by 2050, equip people, environment, and infrastructure to adapt to climate change, and ensure meaningful involvement and access to benefits of the clean energy transition for Environmental Justice communities. Ms. Antos previously served as the Deputy Executive Director for Planning & Sustainability at the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), where she oversaw plans, technical assistance, and initiatives to advance a more resilient Greater Boston region. She received regional and national awards for her innovative ecosystem restoration efforts at Washington, DC’s Department of Energy and Environment and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Chesapeake Bay Program Office.
- Elizabeth Mahony, MA DOER, most recently worked for Attorneys General Andrea Joy Campbell and Maura Healey as an Assistant Attorney General and Senior Policy Advisor for Energy. Elizabeth served in the Energy and Telecommunications Division, focusing on utility clean energy procurements, solar program development, clean energy rate design, consumer protections, and legislative engagement. Before joining the Attorney General’s Office, Elizabeth was Acting General Counsel for the Department of Energy Resources and Committee Counsel to Benjamin Downing, Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy before that. Elizabeth is a graduate of Marist College and Suffolk University Law School.
- Kathleen Doyle, SEBANE, the Undersecretary for Decarbonization and Resilience at Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. She leads efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve Net Zero by 2050, equip people, the environment, and infrastructure to adapt to climate change and ensure meaningful involvement and access to benefits of the clean energy transition for Environmental Justice communities. Ms. Antos previously served as the Deputy Executive Director for Planning & Sustainability at the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), where she oversaw plans, technical assistance, and initiatives to advance a more resilient Greater Boston region. She received regional and national awards for her innovative ecosystem restoration efforts at Washington, DC’s Department of Energy and Environment and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Chesapeake Bay Program Office.
- Juan Botero, Strategic Analyst, DOE SETO, a Strategic Analyst in the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) supporting the Strategic Analysis and Institutional Support (SAIS) team. Juan’s work contributes to the team’s mission of reducing solar soft costs by supporting research at the intersection of natural resource conservation and solar energy deployment. He contributes to projects focused on solar siting issues, interactions between solar energy facilities and wildlife, and land use concerns, among other topics. In his previous role, Juan worked with the American Wind Wildlife Institute where he managed a research fund focused on creating solutions to deploy more wind energy across the country while minimizing its impacts on wildlife and the environment. Juan is a fellow at the Clean Energy Leadership Institute where he engages regularly with leaders from across the clean energy field on emerging topics in the space and professional development. Juan holds an M.S. from William & Mary University where he studied the impacts of mercury on songbirds and a B.S. from Virginia Tech with a major in wildlife science.
Session Q&A / Comments
The following are questions received from Attendees during Session 1. These questions have been shared with Session 1 speakers to inform them of the engagement and issues of interest to the community. We are not asking or expecting the speakers to offer direct answers to these questions. The Clean Energy Extension and our partners are also using these questions to inform the remaining Sessions and the agenda for the anticipated Part II of the forum in 2024. Thank you for these questions.
- Is the state looking at making consumer time-of-use electric pricing to drive the lowering of peak demand and increase electricity use when renewables are sending excess energy into our grid?
- We cannot wait 4-5 years! The government needs to regulate utilities so that the financial incentive of doing business in MA is not stymieing our actions in the face of the climate crisis. They are strangling expansion.
- It is clear that we must not sacrifice forests for solar. How can the sitting of solar on forested and other natural lands that sequester carbon be disincentivized to the point where it will not be done?
- The premise of the DOER study and statements is that municipalities can determine where solar can be built. The statute doesn't allow this unless public health, welfare, and safety. This discussion misses the mark.
- For Kathy: Can you clarify if Cap. Improvement Projects upgrade costs are being spread out now, or if the upgrade costs are s ll le to the unlucky entity who encounters a need for an upgrade b4 adding solar?
- Are land trusts going to be able to loosen development restrictions so as to permit solar arrays and battery storage on the lands they have protected?
- I'd like to understand more about the structures that continue to reward conventional power generation (i.e., forward reserve auctions). Also, solar - while promising - has some limitations. What are the plans for enhancing storage capacity?
- For Elizabeth: The Tech Potential of Solar Study is a fabulous tool. Wondering how it will inform new state solar regs to incentivize and disincentivize solar development. As you know, local zoning laws are being challenged w/ lawsuits in small towns.
- Why are utilities trying to take over the market for community solar? How are you going to control that market?
- If the properties that score high in solar potential are private property, are developers targeting those landowners for potential development? How are landowners reacting to having their parcels identified as having high potential?
- How will the state include members of Agricultural Commissions prior to creating guidelines for the use of agricultural (working) lands?'
- For Katherine Antos: Do percentage goals to conserve NWL include only MA-owned lands or also privately owned lands, that make up the majority of our forested lands?
- Question for E. Mahoney: For parcels that already have solar, the study indicated far greater potential than has actually been built. What has prevented solar developments to date from obtaining the technical potential? How can these obstacles be removed?
- Is workforce development training people in low-income and EJ communities?
- Equitable access also is a top priority for solar.
- For the DOER's technical potential of solar study, how did the team determine a power density of 1.3 MW per acre?
- Why can't the Commonwealth buy out the utilities so that they can address climate change more seriously?
- Thank you, Climate Chief Hoffer! It's clear that you understand the wide complexities of the situation we're in and "solutions." I'd be interested to learn more about how the state will help support the development of equitable community solar.
- Question for Elizabeth Mahony regarding the Technical Potential Solar Study: Can I obtain the data shown in the interactive online map so I can use it in my own GIS? For example, I'd like to tally the total technical potential of solar in my town (Amherst).
- Shortly after entering office Gov. Healey stated that we would need to annually deploy 1 GW of solar to meet energy targets. How can we use foresters to identify failing woodlands for affordable solar development? Rooftops/canopies are not enough.
- When do you think H.B.3685, An Act Insuring Solar Energy Access (specifically focused on condominium associations), will be approved by the Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy Committee for full consideration by the Legislature?
