Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 21N, sec. 4 — MA Code / Part I / Title II / Chapter 21N / Section 4
Adoption of 2020 statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit; relevant information; evaluation of potential cost and benefits; de minimis threshold; emission reduction; public hearings; statement; interim greenhouse gas emissions limits
Status: in_force

Section 4. (a) The secretary shall adopt the 2020 statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit that shall be between 10 per cent and 25 per cent below the 1990 emissions level and a plan for achieving said reduction. The secretary shall consult with all state agencies and regional authorities with jurisdiction over sources of greenhouse gases on all elements of the emissions limits, sublimits, and roadmap plans required by this chapter, including, but not limited to, electrical generation, load based-standards or requirements, the provision of reliable and affordable electrical service and statewide fuel supplies. The 2025, 2030, 2035, 2040, 2045 and 2050 statewide greenhouse gas emissions limits and the accompanying roadmap plans for realizing the limits shall comply with the requirements of this section and section 5. (b) The secretary shall consider all relevant information pertaining to greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals and programs in other states and nations. (c) The secretary shall evaluate the total potential costs and economic and noneconomic benefits of various reduction measures to the economy, environment and public health, using the best available economic models, emissions estimation techniques and other scientific methods. (d) The secretary shall take into account the relative contribution of each source or source category to statewide greenhouse gas emissions and may set a de minimis threshold of greenhouse gas emissions below which emissions reduction requirements shall not apply. (e) The secretary shall identify opportunities for emissions reduction measures from all verifiable and enforceable voluntary actions. (f) The secretary shall conduct public hearings on the proposed 2025, 2030, 2035, 2040, 2045 and 2050 statewide greenhouse gas emissions limits and the accompanying roadmap plans for realizing the limits. The secretary shall conduct a portion of these workshops in regions that have the most significant exposure to air pollutants, including, but not limited to, communities with minority populations, communities with low-income populations, or both. (g) Not more than 18 months after the last day of 2020, 2025, 2030, 2035, 2040, 2045, 2050 and any other calendar year for which a statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit is adopted pursuant to statute or regulation, the secretary shall issue a statement in writing to the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate, the house and senate committees on ways and means, the joint committee on telecommunications, utilities and energy and the joint committee on environment, natural resources and agriculture. The statement shall indicate, drawing upon the best available data and measurements, the degree of compliance achieved by the commonwealth with the statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit. The statement shall reasonably quantify the extent to which emissions exceeded or did not exceed the limit and shall consider the lessons to be learned from any success or failure to comply with said limit. If emissions exceeded the limit, the statement shall describe remedial steps that might be taken to offset the excess emissions and ensure compliance with the next upcoming limit adopted pursuant to statute or regulation. (h) The interim 2030 statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit shall be at least 50 per cent below the 1990 level, and the interim 2040 statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit shall be at least 75 per cent below the 1990 level.

Section 4. (a) The secretary shall adopt the 2020 statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit that shall be between 10 per cent and 25 per cent below the 1990 emissions level and a plan for achieving said reduction. The secretary shall consult with all state agencies and regional authorities with jurisdiction over sources of greenhouse gases on all elements of the emissions limits, sublimits, and roadmap plans required by this chapter, including, but not limited to, electrical generation, load based-standards or requirements, the provision of reliable and affordable electrical service and statewide fuel supplies. The 2025, 2030, 2035, 2040, 2045 and 2050 statewide greenhouse gas emissions limits and the accompanying roadmap plans for realizing the limits shall comply with the requirements of this section and section 5.

(b) The secretary shall consider all relevant information pertaining to greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals and programs in other states and nations.

(c) The secretary shall evaluate the total potential costs and economic and noneconomic benefits of various reduction measures to the economy, environment and public health, using the best available economic models, emissions estimation techniques and other scientific methods.

(d) The secretary shall take into account the relative contribution of each source or source category to statewide greenhouse gas emissions and may set a de minimis threshold of greenhouse gas emissions below which emissions reduction requirements shall not apply.

(e) The secretary shall identify opportunities for emissions reduction measures from all verifiable and enforceable voluntary actions.

(f) The secretary shall conduct public hearings on the proposed 2025, 2030, 2035, 2040, 2045 and 2050 statewide greenhouse gas emissions limits and the accompanying roadmap plans for realizing the limits. The secretary shall conduct a portion of these workshops in regions that have the most significant exposure to air pollutants, including, but not limited to, communities with minority populations, communities with low-income populations, or both.

(g) Not more than 18 months after the last day of 2020, 2025, 2030, 2035, 2040, 2045, 2050 and any other calendar year for which a statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit is adopted pursuant to statute or regulation, the secretary shall issue a statement in writing to the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate, the house and senate committees on ways and means, the joint committee on telecommunications, utilities and energy and the joint committee on environment, natural resources and agriculture. The statement shall indicate, drawing upon the best available data and measurements, the degree of compliance achieved by the commonwealth with the statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit. The statement shall reasonably quantify the extent to which emissions exceeded or did not exceed the limit and shall consider the lessons to be learned from any success or failure to comply with said limit. If emissions exceeded the limit, the statement shall describe remedial steps that might be taken to offset the excess emissions and ensure compliance with the next upcoming limit adopted pursuant to statute or regulation.

(h) The interim 2030 statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit shall be at least 50 per cent below the 1990 level, and the interim 2040 statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit shall be at least 75 per cent below the 1990 level.