Environmental League of Massachusetts (ELM)

The general election is rapidly approaching – and that means it’s time to find out which #ClimateChamps are running in your district. Vote on climate this election and use our Green Voter Guide tool to see who the ELM Action Fund has endorsed on your ballot??https://lnkd.in/gikZiEJK

It’s been well over two years since the federal Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law were passed. But today, Massachusetts took a huge step forward toward bringing as much of that money home as possible. The Legislature just enacted An Act to provide for competitiveness and infrastructure investment in Massachusetts, a unanimously supported bill directing up to $750 million in interest from the state’s rainy day fund to be used as matching dollars for federal grant applications. “Make your money work for you” is a popular investing adage, but this law takes that wisdom to a whole new level: using the gains from our already-huge backup accounts (currently north of $8 billion) to support efforts securing competitive federal grants for bridges, trains, clean energy, climate resilience, and much more. Many programs authorized through these federal laws require state and local cost-sharing, meaning cities and towns could receive millions or even billions in federal support, but only if they commit a small portion too. This new law enables MA to compete for every dollar possible with no risk of wasted money—our money only gets spent if the federal support comes through. At ELM, we’re ambitious and optimistic about the opportunities created by the net-zero transition, but we’re realistic about what it’ll take to get us to our climate goals. The state’s Climate Chief estimates that federal funding could support anywhere from 8-30% of MA’s total decarbonization needs – and whether we’re at the low or high end of that range will make an enormous difference in how large our gap will be in 2030. Every emissions-reduction model agrees that, to meet our transportation sector goals, more people need to switch from single-vehicle travel to mass transit. Yet, the MBTA faces a $700 million budget gap in the coming fiscal year. Adding this new tool to our toolbox will directly work to fix some of our Commonwealth’s biggest challenges. The good news is that spending state and federal dollars on infrastructure is a fantastic investment. The very same spending needed to electrify public transit also makes trains and buses more reliable. Deploying more renewable energy helps diversify our grid and stabilize energy costs. And climate resilience and hazard mitigation projects help prevent the astronomical price tag that natural disasters bring. We’re not just working toward net-zero; we’re building greener, safer, and more modern communities within our state. ELM?commends?Governor Healey, Chair Michlewitz, Chair Rodrigues, and all their colleagues in the Legislature for coming together around this common-sense initiative. And when the next grants get awarded, the oldest pipes get replaced, or the newest charging stations get installed, we’ll be glad to see that our money is working hard for us.

Today, the Massachusetts Legislature voted to enact An Act to Provide for Competitiveness & Infrastructure Investment in Massachusetts. This will enable our Commonwealth to utilize interest on the state's rainy-day fund to be used as matching money for competitive federal grants. This is a critical step in ensuring our cities and towns have the necessary funding for climate infrastructure, thereby pushing us closer to net-zero. - - - #ClimateFunding #IRA #BIL #ClimateInfrastructure #GreenInfrastructure #CleanEnergy #CleanEnergyFuture #NetZero #NetZeroTransition

? As we enter the fall season??, it feels fitting that the offshore wind industry started to turn a new leaf on recent challenges with the celebratory groundbreaking of the Salem Offshore Wind Terminal. I was delighted to gather recently with New England for Offshore Wind coalition members, state officials, and industry leaders to ring in a new chapter for our region that means more offshore wind and more family-sustaining union jobs??. ? Salem's port was once the site of the Salem Harbor Power Plant, a dirty coal-fired operation that had adverse and prolonged health impacts on local residents due to air pollution??. Where the piles of coal that fed this plant once stood, the Salem Offshore Wind Terminal will now serve as a shining beacon??of the just clean energy transition. The new turbines built here will help mitigate the effects of the climate crisis while equitably distributing the community and economic benefits of this booming industry to the working families and historically marginalized communities that have been left behind. ? Our coalition member, the Salem Alliance for the Environment, led the charge in advocating for a historic Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) between the City of Salem, Massachusetts and the port developer Crowley to ensure that community members’ specific needs were met. Some of these commitments include investments in the roads??and green space around the port, a historic investment in city childcare??, and funding for the Salem High Career and Technical Education program??. It is community engagement like this that will make all the difference in ensuring that this transition is a just one. Let’s take a moment to celebrate this win – and keep pushing forward! ?? Office of Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey Massachusetts Clean Energy Center

ELM and the ELM Action Fund are #Hiring for an #EventsManager! The Events Manager will be an integral member of a collegial and effective 19-person advocacy team, working to plan and execute in-person, hybrid, and virtual events. We seek applicants with experience in project managing and executing events, working with event venues and vendors, and managing projects across teams. To apply, please visit https://lnkd.in/eCfKYA-i. - - - #HiringNow #EventsJobs #ProjectManagementJobs #ClimateJobs

"Today's announcement of a Final Sale Notice for the Gulf of Maine lease auction is a hard-won victory for Massachusetts and all of New England. These lease parcels will be key to providing clean electricity for our shared regional grid and to building out a robust regional supply chain that will create thousands of family sustaining union jobs, all while setting a model of responsible and equitable offshore wind development for the nation." Kelt Wilska, Offshore Wind Director, Environmental League of Massachusetts (ELM) and Regional Lead for NE4OSW. #offshorewind #cleanelectricity #cleanpower #renewables #renewableenergy

Say Hi ?? to New England for Offshore Wind's Summer Fellow, Mazzi Ingram! Mazzi is a Brandeis University Senior from Philadelphia. Check out these Key Takeaways from her experience. As a Fellow for NE4OSW, I learned about the fundamentals of offshore wind (OSW) and contributed to advocacy work for a just clean energy transition. I worked on a mix of collaborative and self-directed projects focused on increasing public understanding and awareness of the industry.? ?? Learning? In the first few weeks of my fellowship, I spent over 60 hours watching webinars, reading informational materials, and reviewing comment letters produced by the Coalition.?Resultingly, I gained a foundational understanding of OSW and its capacity to support communities that are overburdened by energy inefficiency in New England. I came to understand that OSW is not only an innovative industry that can help end our dependence on fossil fuels, but it is also a pathway to economic and social transformation for communities most impacted by the effects of climate change.? ?? Advocacy? With my newfound understanding of offshore wind, I confidently dove into advocacy work. I had the pleasure of working with a coalition member, Michael Sales of Elders Climate Action, and my colleague Lucy Koester on an educational resource intended to bridge the gap between OSW awareness and workforce potential. We believe that by engaging students as early as Kindergarten they will feel empowered to pursue careers in OSW. This approach, coupled with continued research and community engagement, could build a generation of climate leaders. Having the opportunity to influence education through the lens of climate justice has been beyond fulfilling. ?? Connection? While working on projects such as creating the coalition’s first library for sources like environmental impacts, leasing, and reliability,?I was reminded of the importance of effective scientific communication. Internally, this library will be used to support future public facing documents produced by NE4OSW, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have created a living document helping to dispel misconceptions and misinformation regarding OSW. ?? Reflection? As I reflect on my summer term with ELM, I am honored to have been under the skillful, dedicated, and compassionate leadership of Zahra Saifee. During our weekly check-ins, Zahra encouraged me to be curious and challenge myself, and she gave me invaluable professional development advice. She also went above and beyond to make sure that I could explore my interest areas, such as being included in the coalition’s subgrant review process. She facilitated and encouraged my engagement with the Environmental League of Massachusetts (ELM) staff and the coalition in a way that made me feel like more than just a Fellow, but truly a part of a team.?

"The selection of a total 2,878 MW of offshore wind projects is a big win for Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and it demonstrates the benefits of a collaborative procurement approach for New England." Kelt Wilska, Offshore Wind Director, Environmental League of Massachusetts (ELM)

Last week, I wrapped up a summer-long fellowship with the Environmental League of Massachusetts (ELM) as a Campaign and Advocacy Fellow. This experience taught me so much about electoral politics and campaigning for issues that matter to us. From tracking legislation and collaborating with endorsed candidates to making important phone calls urging Massachusetts voters to vote green, I was consistently civically engaged with ELM. I want to thank the staff at ELM for showing me the ropes from my first day at Earth Night, our biggest event of the year. I would also like to thank the other fellows who shared this experience with me. From knocking on doors in East Boston to making Phone calls to voters in Springfield there was never a shortage of teamwork. And a special thanks to our Campaign Manager, Rob Hart, for supporting me and the other fellows throughout this journey, displaying inspiring leadership. Thanks to all who made this experience as great as it was! #ELM

Join ELM, New England for Offshore Wind and Acadia Center on October 9th for a virtual deep dive on bidirectional clean energy in Canada and the U.S. Northeast. Register here: https://lnkd.in/e3K33264. In this webinar, experts will explore: - How interregional transmission and energy flow between the US and Canada can unlock synergies, making greater and more efficient use of renewable energy resources. - Fresh perspectives on the changing market conditions in both the U.S. and Canada. - How bidirectional energy flow can support fossil fuel phaseout, address regional climate goals, and ensure an affordable, reliable power grid. Featuring Jamie Dickerson, Emil Dimanchev, Adrienne Downey, Hannes Pfeifenberger, and Senator Ed Markey. - - - #OffshoreWind #CleanEnergy #Transmission #CleanEnergyGrid #GreenJobs #ClimateGoals #FossilFuels