News

Sticking with solar: Bay State finding ways around federal cuts

Eagle-Tribune · last updated

BOSTON — As state officials prepare for the impact of expiring federal clean energy tax credits on top of the Trump administration’s opposition to offshore wind, lawmakers are developing strategies for accelerating the rollout of residential solar power and reducing administrative red tape in Massachusetts.

The 30% federal tax credit that Massachusetts homeowners can claim for installing rooftop solar panels will expire at the end of the year due a change within the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Senate Majority Leader Cindy Creem said as she kicked off a Senate Committee on Climate Change and Global Warming meeting earlier in the week.

Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

kAm$@=2C A@H6C DJDE6>D E92E 2C6 @H?65 3J E9:C5 A2CE:6D 2?5 =62D65 E@ 9@>6@H?6CD 42? DE:== BF2=:7J 7@C 2 7656C2= E2I 4C65:E E9C@F89 a_af[ 2?5 FE:=:EJ\D42=6 D@=2C AC@;64ED >FDE 2=D@ 36 FA 2?5 CF??:?8 3J E96 6?5 @7 a_af E@ C646:G6 2 7656C2= E2I 4C65:E[ rC66> D2:5]k^Am

kAm“%92E >62?D E96C6 :D 2? FC86?4J 7@C WE96X |2DD249FD6EED D@=2C :?5FDECJ 7@C E96 ?6IE ae >@?E9D 2?5 >2J36 36J@?5[” rC66> D2:5] %96 }6HE@? s6>@4C2E 25565[ “$@=2C :D 2=C625J E96 62D:6DE 6?6C8J D@FC46 E@ 255 E@ @FC 8C:5[ 2?5 H6 42? >2<6 :E 6G6? 62D:6C]”k^Am

kAm%96 b_T E2I 4C65:E 92D D2G65 E96 2G6C286 72>:=J Sg[___ @? D@=2C :?DE2==2E:@? 4@DED[ D2:5 w2??29 q:C?32F>[ 49:67 @7 25G@424J 2E E96 ?@?AC@7:E !6C>:E !@H6C]k^Am

kAm“%96 C646?E 7656C2= E2I 2?5 DA6?5:?8 =68:D=2E:@?[ w]#] `[ C6A62=65 E96 E2I 4C65:E[ 2?5 2D 2 C6DF=E[ C6D:56?E:2= D@=2C :?DE2==D :? |2DD249FD6EED 2C6 AC@;64E65 E@ 5C@A 3J ?62C=J a_T :? a_ae 2=@?6[” q:C?32F> D2:5] “x? @E96C H@C5D[ C@@7E@A D@=2C 2?5 E96 3:== D2G:?8D :E 3C:?8D H:== 36 @FE @7 C6249 7@C >2?J >@C6 |2DD249FD6EED 72>:=:6D ;FDE H96? :E :D >@DE ?66565]”k^Am

kAmx? a__g[ |2DD249FD6EED 925 :?DE2==65 E9C66 >682H2EED @7 D@=2C 6?6C8J] qJ E96 6?5 @7 =2DE J62C[ E96 4@>>@?H62=E9 A@DE65 b]d 8:82H2EED @7 D@=2C 6?6C8J[ D2:5 t=:K236E9 |29@?J[ 4@>>:DD:@?6C @7 E96 s6A2CE>6?E @7 t?6C8J #6D@FC46D] ~?6 8:82H2EE :D 6BF:G2=6?E E@ `[___ >682H2EED]k^Am

kAmsFC:?8 E96 yF?6 962EH2G6[ |2DD249FD6EED 6IA6C:6?465 :ED =2C86DE 6=64EC:42= =@25 D:?46 E96 >:5\a___D[ |29@?J D2:5]k^Am

kAm“(6 H2E4965 2D D@=2C 3642>6 E96 324<3@?6 @7 E96 x$~ }6H t?8=2?5[ AC@G:5:?8 @G6C 7:G6 v( @7 6?6C8J E@ <66A @FC =:89ED @? 2?5 2:C 4@?5:E:@?:?8 9F>>:?8[” E96 4@>>:DD:@?6C D2:5]k^Am

kAm“(6 36=:6G6 E92E D@=2C H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ D9@H FA 2?5 H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ D2G6 E96 8C:5 2?5 @FC C2E6D]”k^Am

kAm%96 w62=6J 25>:?:DEC2E:@? 2?5 =68:D=2E:G6 s6>@4C2ED 92G6 =@?8 G:6H65 @77D9@C6 H:?5 2D <6J E@ E96 DE2E6’D 4=62? 6?6C8J EC2?D:E:@?] !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A 92D >@G65 E@ 92=E @77D9@C6 H:?5 AC@;64ED[ :?4=F5:?8 E9@D6 :? |2DD249FD6EED[ 2?5 42?46=65 9F?5C65D @7 >:==:@?D @7 5@==2CD :? 7656C2= 7F?5:?8]k^Am

kAm%96 D9:7E:?8 7656C2= 5J?2>:4 2?5 D<JC@4<6E:?8 6=64EC:4:EJ 3:==D 92G6 AC@>AE65 v@G] |2FC2 w62=6J E@ AFCDF6 @E96C 6?6C8J D@FC46D[ :?4=F5:?8 ?F4=62C] w62=6J =2DE >@?E9 2=D@ 9@DE65 2 D@=2C DF>>:E[ H96C6 E96 8@G6C?@C D2:5 D96 H2?ED |2DD249FD6EED E@ C682:? :ED =6256CD9:A DE2EFD 7@C D@=2C :?DE2==2E:@?]k^Am

kAmw62=6J’D 6?6C8J 277@C523:=:EJ 3:== 4@?E2:?D 2 AC@G:D:@? E@ FA8C256 E96 :?E6C4@??64E:@? AC@46DD[ H9:49 96C 25>:?:DEC2E:@? D2:5 :D 2:>65 2E 4FEE:?8 E96 E:>6 2?5 4@DED 7@C 4FDE@>6CD 4@??64E:?8 ?6H =@25D[ D@=2C 2?5 DE@C286 AC@;64ED E@ E96 8C:5]k^Am

kAm|29@?J D2:5 2446=6C2E:?8 “7=6I:3=6 :?E6C4@??64E:@?” H@F=5 36 2 “D:8?:7:42?E DE6A :? E96 ?6IE EH@ J62CD E@ F?=@4<:?8 2 =@E @7 42A24:EJ]”k^Am

kAmpEE@C?6J v6?6C2= p?5C62 r2>A36== ;@:?65 2 >F=E:DE2E6 =2HDF:E =2DE H66< 282:?DE E96 &]$] t?G:C@?>6?E2= !C@E64E:@? p86?4J 7@C 6?5:?8 E96 Sf 3:==:@? $@=2C 7@C p== AC@8C2>[ H9:49 r2>A36==’D @77:46 D2:5 56=:G6C65 D@=2C 6?6C8J E@ >@C6 E92? h__[___ =@H\:?4@>6 2?5 5:D25G2?E2865 4@>>F?:E:6D ?2E:@?H:56]k^Am

kAm|29@?J D2:5 DE2E6 @77:4:2=D 925 H@C<65 92C5 2?5 H6C6 A@:D65 E@ =2F?49 2 “8C62E AC@8C2>” H:E9 E96 |2DD249FD6EED r=62? t?6C8J r6?E6C 2?5 E96 q@DE@? w@FD:?8 pFE9@C:EJ]k^Am

kAms6A2CE>6?E @7 t?6C8J #6D@FC46D =2DE H66< @A6?65 2AA=:42E:@?D 7@C E96 =2E6DE :E6C2E:@? @7 :ED D@=2C :?46?E:G6 AC@8C2>[ 42==65 $@=2C |2DD249FD6EED #6?6H23=6 %2C86E b]_]k^Am

kAm~77:4:2=D 2C6 >2<:?8 h__ |( @7 42A24:EJ 2G2:=23=6[ 2?5 E96 AC@8C2> :D 6IA64E65 E@ D=2D9 6=64EC:4:EJ 4@DED 3J Sb__ >:==:@? ?6IE J62C[ E96 w62=6J 25>:?:DEC2E:@? D2:5] %96 AC@8C2> @776CD 2 “7=2E :?46?E:G6 C2E6” 7@C C6D:56?E:2= 4@?DF>6CD 2?5 “6?92?465” :?46?E:G6D 7@C =@H\:?4@>6 9@FD69@=5D[ 2D H6== 2D 4@?DF>6C AC@E64E:@?D E@ 6?DFC6 72:C 4@?EC24ED H:E9 D@=2C :?DE2==6CD[ E96 25>:?:DEC2E:@? D2:5]k^Am

kAmpE E96 962C:?8[ D@=2C 6?6C8J 25G@42E6D 2?5 AC@76DD:@?2=D 6?4@FC2865 =2H>2<6CD E@ 6IA=@C6 2FE@>2E65 A6C>:EE:?8 2?5 :?DA64E:@?D E@ 3@@DE C6D:56?E:2= D@=2C FAE2<6] ~77:4:2=D 2C6 H@C<:?8 @? C68F=2E:@?D E:65 E@ D:E:?8 2?5 A6C>:EE:?8 C67@C>D – :?4=F5:?8 4@?D@=:52E:?8 2?5 2446=6C2E65 A6C>:E C6G:6HD — F?56C E96 a_ac 4=62? 6?6C8J =2H]k^Am

kAmr2=:7@C?:2[ |2CJ=2?5[ %6I2D 2?5 u=@C:52 92G6 D>2CE D@=2C A6C>:EE:?8 =2HD[ 2?5 2 A6?5:?8 3:== :D 2H2:E:?8 24E:@? 7C@> }6H y6CD6J v@G] !9:= |FCA9J[ 244@C5:?8 E@ q:C?32F>]k^Am

kAm$96 2=D@ AC@>@E65 C6>@E6 :?DA64E:@?D[ 2C8F:?8 E96 2AAC@249 4@F=5 D2G6 9@FD69@=5D E:>6 2?5 2==@H E96> E@ E2<6 25G2?E286 @7 E96:C D@=2C A2?6=D D@@?6C] &?56C E96 4FCC6?E :?DA64E:@? 2CC2?86>6?E[ :?DA64E@CD >2J ?665 E@ 4@>6 2?5 4964< @FE E96 AC@;64E >F=E:A=6 E:>6D]k^Am

kAm|2EE96H |4p==:DE6C[ rt~ @7 $@=2Cp!! E92E 2FE@>2E6D E96 A6C>:EE:?8 AC@46DD 7@C =@42= 2?5 DE2E6 8@G6C?>6?ED[ :D H@C<:?8 E@ =2F?49 :ED A=2E7@C> :? q@DE@? 3J E96 6?5 @7 E96 J62C] %96 E649?@=@8J :D FD65 :? >@C6 E92? ba_ ;FC:D5:4E:@?D 24C@DD `f DE2E6D[ 2?5 :E 92?5=6D gT @7 2== D@=2C A6C>:ED ?2E:@?2==J[ 96 D2:5]k^Am

kAm“%9:D :D =:<6 2 r9C@>6 6IE6?D:@? @? J@FC 3C@HD6C E92E J@F 255 @?[ 2?5 :E’D DFA6C D:>A=6 E@ 2FE@>2E6[ =:<6 2 G6CJ DA64:7:4 A6C>:E EJA6 2?5 42E68@CJ[” |4p==:DE6C D2:5] w6 25565[ “(6’C6 D66:?8 2 9F86 ;F>A :? 25@AE:@? 2?5 FE:=:K2E:@? 24C@DD 2== @7 @FC A2CE?6CD[ 2?5 @FC 4FCC6?E 2G6C286 E:>6 D2G:?8D :D E9C66 H66<D 72DE6C E92? E96 EC25:E:@?2= A6C>:EE:?8]”k^Am

kAm|4p==:DE6C D2:5 E96 9@>6@H?6C 6IA6C:6?46 H:E9 E96 2AA :D “A96?@>6?2=[” 2D :E 6=:>:?2E6D =@?8 H2:E A6C:@5D]k^Am

kAmp=:D@? zFK?:EK :D 2 C6A@CE6C 7@C $E2E6 w@FD6 }6HD $6CG:46 2?5 $E2E6 p772:CD !C@ |2DD249FD6EED] #6249 96C 2E k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i2<FK?:EKoDE2E62772:CD]4@>Qm2<FK?:EKoDE2E62772:CD]4@>k^2m]k^Am