“This effort to get a municipality to opt in is going to invigorate grass-roots politics in 2023 like you’ve never seen before,” said Senator Michael Barrett, coauthor of the 2021 climate bill that required the creation of the new, optional building code.Read more... ...
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‘Bowels of hell’: Commission to probe history of Mass. state institutions – MassLive
State Sen. Mike Barrett, who also spearheaded the legislation for the special commission, recalled his college years in the 1960s, when a mentorship program brought him to Fernald to play with a 6-year-old boy. Barrett struggled to understand why the boy, who appeared to have no ...
Beyond Mass Save: Legislators and advocates say it’s time for a change – Boston Globe
Senator Michael Barrett, one of the lead authors of Massachusetts’ 2021 and 2022 climate laws, is among a handful of legislators who has proposed alternatives to the current Mass Save structure. A bill he introduced last session proposes that Mass Save have new leadership ...
‘Massachusetts can, and will, lead the world’: Maura Healey sworn in as state’s 73rd governor – Boston Globe
And Senator Michael J. Barrett praised Healey’s climate tech vision, saying, “The Healey stamp, joined with Baker’s prior initiative, gives it that bipartisan character that we really need.”
“This sort of stuff takes a lot of work,” the Lexington Democrat said. “You don’t want to do it at the end of an eight-year term. . . . So the timing is right to make good on those kinds of ideas.”
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I had a good week. – The Barrett Report, Jan. 2023
I’ve seen, up close, what happens when a Chief Executive prioritizes something — or doesn’t. In terms of access to resources, and access to power, Maura Healey just gave climate a big upgrade.
So, unlike our Congressional delegation, I had a pretty good week.
Read The Barrett Report…
Healey taps Rebecca Tepper, of attorney general’s office, as secretary of energy and environmental affairs – Boston Globe
State Senator Michael Barrett, a lead author of Massachusetts’ major 2021 and 2022 climate laws, said Tepper was a “shrewd” choice for EEA secretary.
“She knows the advocates. She knows the business community. She knows lots of legislators. She can make things happen for the Healey-Driscoll team,” he said.
He noted that Katie Theorides, who served as EEA secretary under Governor Charlie Baker from 2019 through mid-2022, didn’t come into state government with the same extensive contact list.
“She brought some serious tools with her, but started from zero in terms of personal relationships and friendships in the legislative branch,” he said. “Tepper has the know-how and the contacts. That’s a very rare combination.”
With new report, Massachusetts charts the path to net-zero emissions by 2050 – Boston Globe
One example of how quickly things move: The plan released today does not account for any delays associated with Avangrid pulling out of Commonwealth Wind, according to stateSenator Michael Barrett, a Democrat of Lexington.
“Going forward, I expect they’re going to have to make adjustments every several months because the world is changing rapidly and in unexpected ways,” said Barrett, one of the lead authors of the Massachusetts 2021 and 2022 climate laws. “Whether or not you put a revision down on paper and publish it every several months, your real strategy has to be congruent with the real world. So what’s required here is nimbleness and strategic agility even as you keep your eye on the long-term goal.”
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Healey taps Melissa Hoffer of the EPA to serve as state’s first climate chief – Boston Globe
StateSenatorMichael Barrett, one of the lead authors of Massachusetts’ 2021 and 2022 climate laws, applauded theHoffer pick, while noting that she will face numerous challenges, including the delays in the deployment of offshore wind, supply chain issues with the availability of electric vehicles, and the high costs of getting heat pumps into homes, which will probably require additional subsidies.
“At every turn, there are questions to confront,” Barrett said. “None of them are insuperable, but all of them mean real work. Melissa Hoffer is going to have a lot on her shoulders.”
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