Boston Acting Mayor Kim Janey signed an Ordinance Amending City of Boston Code, Ordinances, Chapter VII, Sections 7-2.1 and 7-2.2, Building Energy Reporting and Disclosure (BERDO 2.0) into law on Oct. 5, 2021. The amended...more
After commencing a regulatory review effort in February 2021, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) has issued proposed amended Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) regulations...more
Chapter 8 of the Acts of 2021, An Act Creating a Next-Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Policy (the Climate Act), signed by Gov. Charlie Baker on March 26, 2021, includes new energy and water efficiency standards...more
Much of the recent news about climate-influenced building codes has come out of California, where the California Energy Commission announced adoption of revisions to its Building Energy Efficiency Standards, also known as the...more
After reviewing and responding to initial public comments, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) has issued its revised draft Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) Interim...more
7/15/2021
/ Climate Action Plan ,
Climate Change ,
Coastal Real Estate ,
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) ,
Environmental Justice ,
Environmental Policies ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Public Comment ,
Real Estate Development ,
Required Forms ,
Rulemaking Process ,
State and Local Government ,
Wetlands
The previous alerts in this Holland & Knight series have focused on state level initiatives from the Massachusetts Legislature, Governor's Office and the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) Office related to climate...more
Two Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) electricity sector regulations, 310 CMR 7.74: Reducing CO2 Emissions from Electricity Generating Facilities and 310 CMR 7.75: Clean Energy Standard, require...more
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) has issued its draft Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) Interim Protocol on Climate Adaptation and Resiliency (the Interim Protocol),...more
While much attention has been paid to the ambitious climate change mitigation requirements in "An Act Creating a Next-Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Policy," the comprehensive climate change legislation recently...more
On March 26, 2021, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed Chapter 8 of the Acts of 2021, An Act Creating a Next-Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Policy (the Act), into law, cementing the Commonwealth's status as...more
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has invited public comment by April 15, 2021, on its recently opened proceeding (Docket No. AD21-13-000), which FERC has stated "will examine how grid operators prepare for and...more
The City of Boston has taken the next step in its ongoing efforts to amend and strengthen its Building Energy Reporting and Disclosure Ordinance, or BERDO, by releasing a draft Summary of policy elements on Jan. 27, 2021, for...more
2/12/2021
/ Administrative Review Board ,
Audits ,
Climate Change ,
Comment Period ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Justice ,
Environmental Policies ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Local Ordinance ,
Municipalities ,
Performance Standards ,
Power Purchase Agreements ,
Property Owners ,
Renewable Energy ,
State and Local Government ,
Utilities Sector
While the presidential transition has focused attention on the energy and environmental policy initiatives that likely will be undertaken by the Biden-Harris Administration, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts continues to...more
1/22/2021
/ Air Pollution ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Clean Energy ,
Climate Action Plan ,
Climate Change ,
Environmental Policies ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Municipalities ,
Net Zero ,
Reporting Requirements ,
State and Local Government ,
Zero-Emission Vehicles
On May 6, 2020, in the case of In re Peabody Energy Corporation, 958 F.3d 717 (8th Cir.), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit held, in an apparent case of first impression, that state statutory and common-law...more