Massachusetts will prepare to protect communities from extreme weather events
As we build out our clean energy system to limit the worst impacts of climate change, we must also recognize that climate change is already here, and it’s already impacting communities across our state. Massachusetts residents are at increasing risk from flooding, heat waves, power failures due to massive storms, and other dangerous impacts of climate change.
As Governor, I will take action to protect the safety and economic health of our state by:
Creating a Cabinet on Climate and Resilience, led by a senior member of my staff and consisting of secretaries and directors of a variety of state agencies with authority over housing, municipal affairs, public safety, transportation, workforce, and finance to coordinate state, regional, and local climate resilience planning. This cabinet will engage local communities and tribes in municipal and regional-level risk assessments, planning, and adaptation efforts.
Building an energy system that is less fragile and more resilient, as well as being renewable. Climate change means that extreme weather events are happening with increasing force and frequency. Decarbonization of transportation and heating technology will also place increasing demands on our electricity grid. Making sure the energy systems our communities count on are prepared for these stressors means planning ahead. We must invest in microgrids around vital infrastructure, like schools and first responder stations, so these critical locations are able to continue serving their communities in the wake of extreme weather events. Increasing adoption of rooftop and community solar, coupled with energy storage infrastructure on the grid, will also make our communities less vulnerable both to large-scale outages and strains on the grid from high demand. To this end, we should amend our state building codes to require rooftop solar panels be installed on all new buildings where feasible at the time of construction, as California did in 2018.
Ensure resilient transit infrastructure. With extreme weather events becoming more common, we must prioritize building climate-resilient transportation infrastructure. I will direct MassDOT and the MBTA to calculate the full costs of solving for climate vulnerabilities in our networks and create accompanying resilient design standards, then budget for these projects through capital planning.
Note: This plan was updated on February 1, 2022 to clarify language describing the transition to meeting Massachusetts’ electricity needs with 100% clean energy.
