Massachusetts General Laws
Chapter 21n - Climate Protection and Green Economy Act
Section 5 - Report of Implementation of Regulations Relative to Climate Change

[ Text of section effective until June 24, 2021. For text effective June 24, 2021, see below.]
  Section 5. The secretary shall monitor the implementation of regulations relative to climate change and shall, every 5 years, publish a report which shall include recommendations regarding such implementation. The report shall include, without limitation: (i) whether regulations or other measures undertaken, including distribution of emissions allowances, are equitable and minimize costs and maximize the total benefits to the commonwealth and encourage early action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; (ii) whether activities undertaken to comply with state regulations and efforts disproportionately impact low-income communities; (iii) whether entities that have voluntarily reduced their greenhouse gas emissions prior to the implementation of this chapter receive appropriate credit for early voluntary reductions; (iv) whether activities undertaken pursuant to the regulations complement, and do not interfere with, efforts to achieve and maintain federal and state ambient air quality standards and reduce toxic air contaminant emissions; (v) consider overall societal benefits, including reductions in other air pollutants, diversification of energy sources and other benefits to the economy, environment and public health; (vi) whether state actions minimize the administrative burden of implementing and complying with these regulations; (vii) whether state actions minimize leakage; (viii) consider the significance of the contribution of each source or category of sources to statewide emissions of greenhouse gases; (ix) whether greenhouse gas emissions reductions achieved are real, permanent, quantifiable, verifiable and enforceable; and (x) recommendations for future policy action. The report shall be filed with the clerk of the house of representatives, the clerk of the senate, the chairs of the house and senate committees on ways and means, the chairs of the joint committee of telecommunications, utilities and energy and the chairs of the joint committee on the environment, natural resources and agriculture.
Chapter 21N: Section 5. Contents of roadmap plan; filing
[ Text of section as amended by 2021, 8, Sec. 10 effective June 24, 2021. For text effective until June 24, 2021, see above.]
  Section 5. To the extent practicable, the roadmap plans required by subsection (b) of section 3 for 2025, 2030, 2035, 2040 and 2045 shall be consistent with each other, cumulative in effect and constructed to realize the 2050 statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit imposed by said subsection (b) of said section 3. Each plan, including the 2050 plan, shall (i) address each sector subject to a statewide greenhouse gas emissions sublimit imposed by section 3A; (ii) indicate for each sector how, to what extent, and when the commonwealth will act to reduce its emissions in order to realize the 2050 statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit; (iii) consider whether regulations or other measures undertaken, including distribution of emissions allowances, are equitable and minimize costs and maximize the total benefits to the commonwealth and encourage greenhouse gas emissions reductions; (iv) consider whether activities undertaken pursuant to the regulations complement, and do not interfere with, efforts to achieve and maintain federal and state ambient air quality standards and reduce toxic air contaminant emissions; (v) consider overall societal benefits, including reductions in other air pollutants, diversification of energy sources and other benefits to the economy, environment and public health; (vi) consider whether state actions minimize the administrative burden of implementing and complying with these plans and regulations; (vii) consider whether state actions minimize leakage; (viii) consider the significance of the contribution of each source or category of sources to statewide emissions of greenhouse gases; (ix) consider whether greenhouse gas emissions reductions achieved are real, permanent, quantifiable, verifiable, and enforceable; (x) quantify the emissions reductions to be realized due to the electric and gas energy efficiency programs established under sections 19 and 21 of chapter 25; (xi) set numerical benchmarks and track adoption within the commonwealth of emissions reduction products, solutions, and improvements used to achieve the statewide greenhouse gas emissions limits and sublimits, including, but not limited to, electric vehicles, electric vehicle charging stations, solar photovoltaic and solar thermal technologies, offshore wind facilities, the release of measurable greenhouse gases from and carbon sequestration by natural and working lands and the products derived from these lands to the maximum extent practicable, energy storage capacity, air-source and ground-source heat pumps and anaerobic digestion; (xii) summarize the steps taken by the commonwealth to improve or mitigate economic, environmental and public health impacts on low- or moderate-income individuals and environmental justice populations; (xiii) (A) contain a statewide baseline measurement and measure the current carbon flux on natural and working lands; (B) adopt statewide goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon sequestration on natural and working lands; and (C) develop a natural and working lands plan that outlines actions to meet these statewide goals, including, but not limited to, land protection, management and restoration and state and local legislation, laws and regulations, programs, grants, loans, incentives and public-private partnerships, and provide guidance and strategies for state agencies, authorities, municipalities, regional planning agencies, nonprofit organizations, landowners and operators; provided, however, that said plan shall be developed and informed by a stakeholder process and that the baseline, goal and plan shall be integrated into the inventory, baseline assessment, plan and reporting requirements pursuant to this chapter and shall be consistent with state climate change adaptation and resiliency policies; (xiv) include the results of quantitative modeling and analysis of the commonwealth's energy economy and greenhouse gas emissions in their state and regional context, including, but not limited to, the regional electric distribution and transmission grid; provided, however, that said modeling and analysis may be conducted in conjunction with other states or regional entities as part of an analysis of reducing regional emissions to a level consistent with this chapter; provided further, that the secretary is authorized to utilize back-cast methodology; (xv) publish the results of any modeling and analysis performed pursuant to this section and, to the maximum extent permitted by law, make available for public inspection and use the model, all model assumptions, and all input and output data; provided, that the secretary may protect from public disclosure, trade secrets, confidential, competitively sensitive or other proprietary information provided in the course of proceedings in the same manner as provided in section 5D of chapter 25; and (xvi) make recommendations for future policy action. Each roadmap plan shall be filed with 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.

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