Massachusetts is changing its systems for generating electricity. Right now electricity is generated by burning carbon-emitting fossil fuel, over 50% by burning “natural” gas. Since 2016, our state has been underway towards generating electricity using only renewable energy. How? And what does that imply for us?
(a) We are making a major switch to off shore wind, that is electricity generated by huge wind turbines off the coast of Cape Cod. These turbines, being built now, are well tested by European nations like Denmark, which started switching to them in the 1970s. Massachusetts already has contracted 3,200 megawatts of off shore wind (think of that as more than 5 Vermont Yankee nukes!) In addition we will be boosting solar, (eg. generating electricity from sunshine, using solar collectors placed primarily on landfills, rooftops, over parking lots, hopefully with attached electric storage.) And, there is some additional electric power generation from hydro (moving water). We can anticipate that by 2030 Massachusetts should be primarily utilizing all greenhouse gas free renewable electric energy.
(b) Once we have renewable energy, it makes sense to switch our transportation system, previously seen as responsible for half of the state’s greenhouse gas. Massachusetts’ goal is to switch to 900,0000 electric vehicles by 2030. That will include passenger cars, light trucks, vans, and buses. The state is ordering school buses now.
(c) Next goal: Massachusetts will be rehabbing 1 million residential and commercial buildings by 2030. To accomplish this, the state has to rewrite the building codes to make them net-zero carbon equivalent. One of the big problems the state faces was revealed in the last study of greenhouse gas. Fracked gas is leaking at six times the rate reported previously. Fixing all the leaking pipes is impossible for economic reasons and because the pipes seem to be disintegrating. Needless to say, natural gas can be explosive, and the health effects of gas leaks indoors have also been documented. But, very promising tests are now underway to use the gas rights of way in streets, sustain the gas workforce, and replace gas with geothermal district heating systems (geo-thermal water).
If we can do just (a) through (c) we will have cut greenhouse gas more than 50% by 2030. But to pull that off, it will take impassioned work by every one of us, working together. Luckily, at this moment, there will be new “infrastructure funding” coming from the federal government, giving us a chance to build larger loan funds as we restructure electrical systems, electrical grid and storage, build thousands of quick charge stations, rehab buildings, pipelines, and train an army of workers for new jobs.
(d) But, then, we must also address agricultural waste, providing as much as 30% of the greenhouse gas, from nitrogen fertilizers. Much of it is blown into the atmosphere due to plowing, or washed into the waterways and oceans. Systems known as “regenerative agriculture” ensure that the carbon we are putting into the atmosphere that is causing all the trouble, stays in the soil, where it helps plants grow, and lowers the risk of flooding.
(e) Massachusetts plans to do all that while building equity. The state is divided into census tracts. Each tract has well-defined census data on income, the percentage of people of color, women, and immigrants based on language. Forty percent of all job training and funding is earmarked to go to these populations while also providing retraining for people who are losing fossil fuel jobs.
In addition, careful plans have been laid to protect environmental justice communities, defined in current law, from further degradation.
(f) All of the above are just to lower the increasing rate of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. But already there is so much it is threatening life on our planet. So there is one more major way to lower greenhouse gas by as much as 30%: forests. Next week, April 29, is the 150th anniversary of Arbor Day. Let’s celebrate! Trees, the bigger the better, have the capacity to pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, while releasing oxygen that we need to breathe, helped by underground fungi, bacteria, microbes. Then, forest trees store it for hundreds of years as trunks and branches. Let’s celebrate by protecting our beautiful western Massachusetts trees and forests!
Finally, on Earth Day, April 22, come to the Greenfield Energy Park at the end of Miles Street (off Main just opposite the Green Fields Food Co-op) from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Celebrate and discover a greener future with 20 tables staffed by local organizations.
Pam Kelly lives in Greenfield.