Massachusetts’s electricity mix is a hot topic these days, from the pages of the local papers to the governor’s State of the Commonwealth address. While we’re thinking about our energy future, it’s helpful to think about our energy past, and how far we’ve come—plus what more we need to do to make sure we’ve got safe, affordable, reliable, and clean electricity. Here’s the Massachusetts energy scene by the numbers (Hint: it’s about 0, 58, 4, 1,…).
0: Number of coal plants, starting next year
Coal was fueling a quarter of electricity generation in Massachusetts just a few short years ago. Then the coal plants, big and small, fell by the wayside (as so many coal plants have been doing nationwide). By next year, Massachusetts will be coal plant-free.
Changes afoot in the Massachusetts energy mix: Enter natural gas and renewables, exeunt coal and oil
58: Percentage of in-state generation from natural gas
A big reason for coal’s decline has been natural gas, which came on strong in Massachusetts more than a decade ago. But high dependence on gas brings risks, including financial ones for the state’s homes and businesses (from price swings, for example), and the state’s wrestling with that issue.
4: Rank among states installing the most solar
Solar has been a great story in Massachusetts in recent years, and the just-released 2015 results show the state still in the top ranks. While the state does have more sun than you might think, what’s made it one of the top states for solar has been forward-thinking policies driving solar’s development, and lots of individuals committing to make a difference through their energy choices.
1: Rank among states on energy efficiency
Energy efficiency is an even brighter star in the Massachusetts energy firmament. The state has been #1 for five years running in the annual ACEEE ranking of state efficiency policies, based on a whole range of policies that recognize efficiency as the lowest hanging fruit for saving money and cutting pollution.
20+: Percentage drop in state CO2 emissions since 1990
Part of the progress in Massachusetts has been to keep electricity affordable and reliable, while also making it cleaner. Over the last decade, the state has cut its carbon footprint by more than 20%. The power sector has led the way, fueled by the drop in coal, the rise in renewable energy (both in-state and imported), and that great energy efficiency push.
80: Required percentage drop in CO2 by 2050
The power sector can do more, though—and has to. Under the state’s 2008 Global Warming Solutions Act, we’re required to cut CO2 emissions 80% from 1990 levels by 2050. And, more importantly for near-term planning, we need 25% cuts by 2020. While there are opportunities across the economy, we know that the electricity sector still offers some of the best opportunities to cut more carbon.
The federal government has bid out multiple areas south of Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard that hold real potential for energy and jobs for Massachusetts (Source: BOEM).
6,310: Offshore wind potential, in megawatts, just from select areas
One way we’re going to cut carbon and reduce risks of overreliance on natural gas is by expanding the range of tools in our energy toolbox. Offshore wind is a huge untapped resource, and Massachusetts is a potential powerhouse of production from offshore wind. Just the already leased areas off the state’s southern coast could produce enough electricity to power millions of Bay State homes.
1,600: Near-term solar goal, in megawatts
Another opportunity is in more solar. In 2013 Massachusetts blew past a goal of 250 MW of solar set by Gov. Deval Patrick in 2007—4 years ahead of schedule. He set a new goal of 1,600 MW by 2020, and Gov. Charlie Baker has embraced that goal. And the state looks set to hit this one, too, way ahead of schedule.
99,000: Clean energy jobs in the state
What these changes add up to is a whole new sector of the Bay State’s economy. Clean energy jobs have grown more than 60% over the last 5 years.
1: Chance to get our energy future right
So, now what? How do we keep the jobs coming, keep solar growing, make sure we hit our carbon reduction goals, both near and long term? How do we keep from investing too much in natural gas for our electricity, in ways that aren’t going to serve us well a few years from now? What role can/should offshore wind—and maybe large hydro—play in Massachusetts’s electricity mix?
These are all things that need sorting out, and soon. We need to make sure that, when it comes to an affordable, reliable, and clean energy future for Massachusetts, the numbers truly add up.