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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2379 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 564
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Marc R. Pacheco
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act to reduce greenhouse gas emissions threatening our natural environment.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Marc R. PachecoThird Bristol and Plymouth 1 of 2
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2379 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 564
By Mr. Pacheco, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 564) of Marc R. Pacheco for
legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions threatening our natural environment.
Environment and Natural Resources.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act to reduce greenhouse gas emissions threatening our natural environment.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 Said chapter 21N, most recently amended by section 11A of chapter 8 of the acts of 2021,
2is hereby amended by striking out subsection (b) and inserting in place thereof the following
3subsection:-
4 (b) The secretary shall promulgate regulations establishing market-based compliance
5mechanisms for: (i) the transportation sector; provided, however, that the regulations shall, at a
6minimum, be designed to reduce passenger vehicle and light duty truck emissions; (ii) the
7commercial, industrial and institutional sectors, including but not limited to buildings and
8industrial, manufacturing and other business processes; and (iii) the residential building sector.
9 The market-based compliance mechanisms established pursuant to this section shall: (i)
10maximize the ability of the commonwealth to achieve the greenhouse gas emissions limits
11established pursuant to this chapter;(ii) be designed to minimize disproportionate impacts on
12low-income households; (iii) be designed to identify, with special attention to manufacturing, 2 of 2
13economic sectors, economic subsectors or individual employers at risk of serious negative
14impacts due to the market-based compliance mechanisms established pursuant to this section;
15and (iv) be designed to mitigate impacts identified in clause (iii). The market-based compliance
16mechanisms may be established by joining any existing market-based compliance mechanisms.
17The secretary shall evaluate and adjust, if necessary, all market-based compliance mechanisms
18adopted pursuant to this section at least once every 30 months to meet the requirements of this
19section and to achieve greenhouse gas emissions limits. The regulations may be promulgated as
20part of a coordinated regional effort with other states or Canadian Provinces to implement,
21expand or join any other market-based compliance mechanisms. The department shall ensure it
22has adequate resources to implement the requirements of this chapter.
23 Not later than September 30, 2025 and every 5 years thereafter, the secretary or a
24designee shall publish a comprehensive energy plan that shall include and be based upon
25reasonable projections of the commonwealth’s energy demands for electricity, transportation and
26thermal conditioning and shall also include strategies for meeting those demands in a regional
27context, prioritizing meeting energy demand through conservation, energy efficiency and other
28demand-reduction resources in a manner that contributes to the commonwealth meeting the
29limits for 2030 and 2040 pursuant to subsection (b) of section 3.