A recap of our work for our members in 2012

Bash Bish Falls in Berkshire County

“None of this great work would have been possible if not for your steadfast support.”

To our members

In the past year, your support has helped us move forward on a number of important campaigns, and win some key victories.

Because of a bill we passed last summer, more Massachusetts residents can sell their solar energy back to the grid, making it more cost-effective to go solar. Solar energy in our state more than doubled in 2012 alone, and we’re poised to attain our goal of 50,000 solar roofs by the end of the decade.

Massachusetts and other Northeastern states will reduce our global warming pollution by 10 percent by 2020 because of a new cap on carbon under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. This victory means more funding for much needed energy efficiency programs across the state.

On the national level, we helped pass essential tax credits for wind energy that will ensure a strong future for wind and safeguard 37,000 clean energy jobs, including 500 here in Massachusetts, where wind energy has expanded 12-fold in the past three years.

We helped to support new EPA standards for soot pollution—the deadliest of air pollutants—which, together with recent standards on mercury pollution, will save an estimated 46,000 lives each year.

None of this great work would have been possible if not for your steadfast support. Thank you for a successful year. And with your help, we plan on working even harder next year to protect our air, water, and the special places we love, and to move Massachusetts on the path to clean, renewable energy.

Sincerely,

Johanna Neumann,Regional Director

Coal-Free MassachusettsCoal-fired power plants endanger our health, pollute our environment and fuel global warming. It’s time to get off coal, and Massachusetts can accomplish this using policy tools already in place. We’re building the public support it will take to make the commonwealth coal-free by 2020.

Environment Massachusetts 2Photo credits: (cover) Steve Heap/Shutterstock.com; (page 1) *Nathan Lanier, (page 2) *H.C. Williams.

We fought for a commitment to get Massachusetts off coal by 2020Massachusetts has the capability to be coal-free by 2020. Using policy tools already in place, Governor Patrick can make the final push to get Massachusetts off coal and protect our health, our environment and our planet.

If the governor fully commits to strengthening the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and uses all the available tools in the Global Warming Solutions Act, Massachusetts can develop enough renewable electricity and save enough energy through efficiency that our old, dirty, obsolete coal plants will no longer be necessary.

But power companies like Dominion Generation don’t want to let that happen. And they’re doing everything they can to keep us addicted to coal. These big polluters are working to destroy programs that will help get the commonwealth off coal, and trying to slow our shift to clean, renewable energy.

Brayton Point Station

Mystic Station

Salem Harbor Station

Canal Station

Mount Tom Station

Cleaning up the “Filthy Five”

Canal - Dormant since 2009, plant in backup role

Mystic - No longer burning coal

Salem - Shutting down

Mount Tom - Currently off-line

Brayton Point - Operated 65% less (2012 2Q v. 2009), steps taken to reduce air, water pollution.

10 years ago, our staff called on the Filthy Five

power plants to clean up or shut down. Here’s

where they stand today:

1

2

3

4

5

Brayton Point coal-fired power plant

Go Solar Massachusetts!Massachusetts is at the forefront of solar policy in the country, but we can do even better. Last summer, we passed a law that expands a popular program to allow homeowners and businesses to sell their solar energy back to the grid. Now we are ready for the next hurdle. The Bay State has tremendous solar potential, and solar power technology has never been more viable. That’s why we believe Massachusetts can install 50,000 new solar roofs by 2020.

Rockport

Gov. Patrick and Environment Mass. staff at a solar rallyMassachusetts worker installs solar panels

Environment Massachusetts 4Photo credits: (page 3, clockwise from top) *Matthew Green; Staff; *Team Massachusetts 4D Home/Flickr; (page 4, from top) Staff; Staff.

With major environmental and health problems caused by dirty energy, Massachusetts needs to get serious about going solar. Gov. Patrick’s recent announcement, along with last summer’s major solar victory, will help us step up and become a national leader for solar.

Victory expanded state’s most successful solar programLast August, after months of advocacy from Environment Massachusetts and our members and allies, Gov. Patrick signed a bill that dramatically expands access to solar energy for families, businesses and local governments. The bill makes refinements to the state’s Green Communities Act and includes provisions to enhance the development of solar, wind and energy efficiency programs.

Among the major improvements was an expansion of the net-metering program, which allows local governments, businesses and homeowners to sell the electricity they generate from solar panels and other small onsite renewable energy sources back to utilities to offset their electric bills, and even generate some revenue. Net-metering is a critical part of the state’s clean energy plan. Homeowners, municipalities and businesses credit the program as being a primary driver behind a 46-fold increase in solar in just the last five years.

In addition to the net-metering cap increases, the legislation directs each utility company to purchase an additional four percent of their electricity through long-term renewable energy contracts. Long-term contracts give renewable energy developers and Massachusetts ratepayers price-certainty, which works as a hedge against volatile fossil fuel prices.

Thousands added their voices in support of solarExpanding solar programs, including the net-metering program, has been a priority for Environment Massachusetts, our members and our allies—including dozens of solar businesses—and many others who want more access to solar energy. The support of homeowners, businesses and local officials played a critical role in helping get the bill to the governor’s desk: More than 60 solar business—including 25 that came to Beacon Hill for a lobby day—contacted legislators directly; 18 cities and towns passed resolutions in support of raising the cap; and nearly 10,000 individual residents signed petitions to their legislators urging them to expand the net-metering program.

A major milestone toward 50,000 solar roofs in Massachusetts by 2020After our major victory to expand solar access for homeowners and small business last summer, Environment Massachusetts went to work to convince Gov. Deval Patrick to make Massachusetts a true national solar leader by expanding our solar goals.

In May, Gov. Patrick announced his intention to do just that, expanding our solar goal to 1600 MW installed by 2020.

Above, Regional Director Johanna Neumann spoke to the press about solar energy. Below, Environment Mass. staff attended Gov. Patrick’s signing of the solar expansion bill.

Rockport

Clean Air, Healthy FamiliesIn 2012, we worked hard to defend new air pollution standards that would cut mercury pollution by 91 percent—a huge victory. And in December, we added to that victory with another life-saving standard to reduce soot pollution—the deadliest air pollutant from power plants. The coal industry tried to block these standards, but we urged the EPA to move forward with its commonsense plan to protect kids from air pollution.

Salem Harbor coal-fired power plant Boston

Environment Massachusetts 6Photo credits: (page 5, counterclockwise from top) *Peter E. Lee; *Steve McFarland; Conservation Law Foundation;(page 6) staff.

Historic new emissions standards will save livesRecently, the EPA moved ahead with efforts to significantly reduce mercury, soot and smog pollution, announcing historic new emissions standards that could save 46,000 lives a year. Unfortunately, polluters and their allies in Congress launched a coordinated attack to block these critical safeguards.

We worked closely with our allies in the public health community, lobbying key senators and rallying thousands of activists to stand up for public health.

It hasn’t been easy, but so far enough of us have spoken to drown out coal industry lobbyists and make sure that the EPA is allowed to do its job and protect the public from dangerous pollutants.

Our plan for a clean energy futureBig polluters and their allies spent big and lost big on Election Day: Dirty energy interests spent more than $270 million on television ads in just the two months leading up to the 2012 election, while defenders of clean energy won in key races across the country.

Now, the voters have spoken and our leaders need to move forward with a clean energy agenda that reduces air pollution, protects health, creates jobs and addresses climate change.

After the election, we held a forum to discuss the future of clean energy in the new political landscape, and in January our national federation helped organize 302 state legislators—including 32 from Massachusetts—to urge the president to commit to tackling global warming in his second term.

The first step is to finalize standards to limit carbon pollution from new power plants, and to move forward with a standard to reduce carbon pollution from existing power plants.

Less mercury, less smog, less soot in store for MassachusettsNearly half of all Americans live in places with unsafe levels of air pollution, which causes heart attacks, asthma attacks, emergency room visits and even deaths. In Massachusetts alone, there are 58,000 asthma-related trips to the emergency room each year. And studies show that one in ten women of childbearing age has enough mercury in her bloodstream to put her child at risk for impaired brain functions should she become pregnant.

Above, Congresswoman Niki Tsongas (right) met with Environment Massachusetts Field Associate Anika James during a lobby day. Below, our September report found that Mass. residents suffered through 14 unhealthy air days in 2010 and 2011.

When reckless logging threatened the Quabbin Reservoir, Environment Massachusetts helped organize the public support that led to Gov. Deval Patrick declaring a moratorium on new logging around the Quabbin Reservoir. When the temporary moratorium expired in March, Gov. Patrick adopted stricter logging rules moving forward that will help keep our drinking water safe.

When reckless logging put the quality of our water and wildlife at risk, we fought backFor decades, one in three Massachusetts residents have been able to count on clean, healthy drinking water from the Quabbin Reservoir. The forestland surrounding the Quabbin—set aside years ago thanks to the foresight of the state—filters out pollutants and helps maintain some of the purest drinking water in the country.

But in the past few years, the Department of Conservation and Recreation began to allow logging close to the Quabbin that could threaten the quality of our drinking water. So we talked to 100,000 people and submitted more than 14,000 public comments in opposition to logging the Quabbin.

Protecting the forestland surrounding the Quabbin has been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency as a key strategy for ensuring that millions of Bay Staters enjoy clean drinking water.

When the temporary logging ban was set to expire, Environment Massachusetts fought hard to win a permanent ban on logging near the Quabbin. Instead, Gov. Patrick chose to allow for logging to resume in the area, albeit under significantly stricter rules than previous logging. While the return of logging in any form to the Quabbin is disappointing, the strict limits moving forward represent significant progress from the previously mismanaged and unregulated logging operations.

Protected land around the Quabbin safeguards the drinking water of one in three Mass. residents.

Protect the Quabbin

Environment Massachusetts 8Photo credits: (page 7, from top) *D.R. Davis/Flickr; *~k~/Flickr; *Dimitris Papazimouris; (page 8, from top) *Vattenfall/Flickr; Cape Wind.

Repowering with windWind now powers nearly 13 million homes nationwide, including 15,000 homes in Massachusetts. In Massachusetts, wind power has expanded 12-fold in just the past three years. The tremendous gain in wind energy is due in part to the federal wind energy tax credits, but in December 2012 they were set to expire and take the burgeoning wind industry—and 37,000 American jobs—with them. After a concentrated campaign to win our congressional delegation’s support, especially from outgoing Sen. Scott Brown, we succeeded, and Congress extended the tax credits in the nick of time.

Victory for wind powerWind powers nearly 13 million homes across the country already. Massachusetts could increase this number by an additional 1.5 million homes as we harness the potential off our coasts. Our current national wind energy capacity also reduces air pollution by avoiding 137,000 pounds of smog-forming emissions and 91,000 pounds of soot-forming emissions every year.

As Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath prompted a call for action to tackle global warming and the rise in extreme weather, Environment Massachusetts released a new report showing that the commonwealth’s projected power generation from wind energy displaces as much global warming pollution as taking 14,000 cars off the road per year.

Environment Massachusetts then organized nearly 40 state legislators and community organizations to write to then-Sens. Scott Brown and John Kerry, urging them to renew the urgent tax credits before they expired at the end of the year. In the end, Congress came through, and the wind tax credits were passed as part of the fiscal cliff deal on January 1. With the renewal of these credits, the future of wind power in Massachusetts is looking bright, and we are on the verge of making history as the first U.S. state to harness offshore wind.

“Getting the project permitted took 10 years and our lead reviewing agency was changed mid-stream. Thanks to the strong support of leading environmental organizations like Environment Massachusetts, there has been a lot of positive education about the compelling environmental, energy and economic benefits of Cape Wind and the tide has definitely shifted in our favor.”

— Mark Rogers of Cape Wind

Fighting Global WarmingWhen Gov. Deval Patrick and officials from other Northeast states were gearing up to make changes to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)—the Northeast region’s landmark pollution reduction program—Environment Massachusetts worked to ensure that the program would emerge stronger. Thanks in part to our efforts, we won a strengthened version of the program that caps global warming emissions from power plants and invests in clean energy.

Superstorm Sandy

Nantasket Beach during Superstorm Sandy Clean Energy Associate Danielle Falzon

Environment Massachusetts 10Photo credits: (page 9, counterclockwise from top) NASA; staff; * Jeff Cutler; (page 10) staff.

Mass. agreed to ratchet down carbon emissions by 20% in the next decadeThe Patrick administration has provided critical leadership for one of the keystone programs in global warming policy to date—the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). As the first program in the United States to limit global warming emissions, sell permits to emit carbon and invest the revenues in energy efficiency and clean energy initiatives, RGGI plays an important role in demonstrating that other states, other regions and the nation as a whole could use a similar model to reduce emissions.

RGGI has been a tremendous success. Massachusetts is investing 100 percent of proceeds from the Initiative—more than $142 million so far—in programs to improve energy efficiency and accelerate the deployment of renewable energy technologies. In December, we worked with our allies to sign on 250 environmental groups, clean energy businesses, and public health officials to a set of principles to strengthen the program. We presented these principles to the top energy and environmental officials in the other RGGI states. In January, Massachusetts officials joined officials from Rhode Island, Delaware, Maryland, New York, Connecticut and Vermont in announcing their intention to begin the process of strengthening the RGGI emissions cap.

We helped organize support for the emissions cutFossil fuel interests, led by Americans for Prosperity and other anti-regulatory ideologues, emboldened by the 2010 elections and the tough economy, have convinced their allies in several states to support killing RGGI. As a result, New Jersey’s Gov. Chris Christie, the New Hampshire House of Representatives and Maine’s Gov. Paul LePage have all announced their opposition to RGGI, and have attempted to kill or weaken the program. Backsliding on this precedent-setting policy would have serious repercussions in the response to global warming. RGGI is only as effective as the participating states allow it to be. That’s why it’s so important for Massachusetts to hold the line by actively supporting RGGI and making it even stronger in our state.

A stronger cap on power plant carbon pollutionFor more than a decade, Massachusetts has been at the forefront of national efforts to shift to clean, efficient, renewable energy and to reduce pollution that contributes to global warming. By adopting strong policies, including a cap on the state’s global warming emissions, clean car standards, renewable energy standards, strong energy efficiency programs and tough emission standards for power plants, our state has shown that taking action to reduce global warming pollution can work.

We worked alongside our national federation and a coalition of other groups to collect more than 3 million public comments in support of the first-ever carbon pollution standard for power plants. This is the greatest number of public comments ever delivered to the EPA on any one issue. Pictured, our federal staff and coalition delivering the first 2.1 million comments.

Protect Our RiversCountless gallons of untreated sewage pour into our waters every year, forcing beaches to close, tainting our drinking water, and making fish unsafe to eat. The EPA can fix this problem by updating clean water standards, but polluters and their allies are threatening to block them. To protect all Massachusetts’ waters, we need to show massive public support for clean water. Environment Massachusetts joined our allies across the country to call for complete protections against toxic pollution for all our waters.

One step away from restored protectionsFrom the Connecticut to the Charles to the beaches of Cape Cod, Massachusetts is defined by its waterways. Our cities were built around them. Our families grew up by them. Many of us depend of them for drinking water, for recreation or for the peace of nature they bring to our lives.

Over the past decade, polluters and irresponsible developers have used the courts to strip Clean Water Act protections from small streams and wetlands. More than half of Massachusetts’ streams and hundreds of acres of wetlands are vulnerable to pollution and development as a result. Polluters can dump garbage into streams, developers can pave over wetlands to build strip malls, and the cops on the environmental beat can’t do a thing about it. And it’s not just small streams and wetlands that will suffer—these waterways are the same ones that feed our largest rivers, including the Charles and Connecticut.

The Environmental Protection Agency has moved to update clean water standards to reduce pollution in Massachusetts’ waters, but polluters and their allies in Congress have tried to block them. We’ve shown overwhelming public support for tough clean water standards to protect all of our waterways.

Last spring, we and our allies across the country submitted more than 170,000 petitions to the EPA calling on the agency to restore protections to all of our waters and cut sewage pollution.

Great egret in Cape Cod wetlands outside of Falmouth.

Connecticut River, Western Mass.

Environment Massachusetts44 Winter St., Ste. 401 Boston, MA 02108 (617) 747-4400

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Environment Massachusetts staff (Partial List)

Anika JamesField Associate

Danielle FalzonEnergy Associate

Alison GiestFederal FieldAssociate

Johanna Neumann Regional Director

Margie AltExecutive Director

Anna AurilioFederal Legislative Director

Rob SargentEnergy Program Director

John RumplerStaff Attorney