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Energy and Environment

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The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) develops policies and targets capital investments that balance sustainable economic development, quality of life and resource protection, in order to ensure that Massachusetts is a great place to live, work, learn and play for generations to come.

The following graph reflects the Administration’s estimated capital investment in energy and environmental affairs projects and programs over the next five years, as compared to fiscal years 2007 and 2013 energy and environment related spending.

Administration Accomplishments to Date

• Since 2007, the Patrick Administration has conserved over 110,000 new acres of open space which protects our drinking water, sustains the character of our communities, provides children with a safe place to play, conserves forests and habitat and supports jobs in forestry, farming and tourism.  This historic, $300 M investment in land conservation has also:
  • Built and restored more than 170 parks, mostly in environmental justice neighborhoods;
  • Funded 10-year forest management agreements with about 1,000 landowners to advance long-term forest conservation on 90,000 acres of private forest land; and
  • Protected more than 20,000 acres of mountain peaks, wild rivers and forests in 10 unique intact ecosystems called Habitat Reserves, which provide species habitats and will buffer climate change impacts.
• Projects occurred in 310 communities and these new parks and conservation lands are within a 10-minute walk (½ mile) of 1.5 M residents – 23% of all residents of the Commonwealth. 
• The Administration has invested $70 M to protect 160 farms (9,750 acres), placed 11,850 acres under agricultural covenants and invested $1.9 M to increase the efficiency and sustainability of agricultural operations.
• Access to fishing and boating activities has been greatly increased with $5.8 M for 21 boat ramp projects (including large construction projects in New Bedford and Fall River), 7 floating dock systems, 13 canoe/kayak access projects, 4 shore fishing/pier access projects and 41 statewide maintenance and engineering projects.
• $8.4 M invested in smart growth environmental projects through the Department of Fish and Game’s (DFG) Division of Ecological Resources has:
  • Restored 805 acres of wetlands and 250 river miles;
  • Created or sustained over 415 jobs;
  • Leveraged $26.2 M in non-state funds; and
  • Generated $60.6 M in economic activity within Massachusetts.
• Massachusetts has bolstered capacity to ensure water quality across all 27 watersheds in the Commonwealth. Thirty-nine riverine and lake sites are now monitored on weekly rotation and are consistently evaluated to certify that cities and towns have access to clean water. 
• The Administration has invested over $225 M in Massachusetts parks, pools, parkways and other recreation facilities. An additional $28 M was directed towards beach, bathhouse and comfort stations projects, including new structures at Salisbury, Nahant, Horseneck and Constitution Beaches, as well as improvements at Winthrop Shores, Canton Airport and Southbridge Pool.
• As part of the Sustainable Water Management Initiative (SWMI), the Administration initiated a $2 M annual municipal grant capital program to support planning assistance, conservation and demand management, and withdrawal impact mitigation projects in local communities.
• The Administration has repaired and restored critical dam and seawall infrastructure by investing more than $25 M in over 25 dam and coastal improvement projects.

FY14 Highlights

• The Commonwealth will invest $1.3 M in the nationally recognized river and wetland restoration program, administered by the Division of Ecological Restoration at the Department of Fish and Game. These restoration projects are expected to leverage an additional $5 M in federal and private funds, in addition to creating over 75 jobs every year.
• Construction on the headquarters building for Division of Fisheries and Wildlife in Westborough will be completed. This will replace current outdated and overcrowded facilities and will be the Commonwealth’s first net zero energy building.
• The Commonwealth will invest $56.4 M in FY14 for the development of the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal, a unique seaport facility that will provide a staging ground for the development of offshore wind and support hundreds of jobs on the South Coast of the Commonwealth.
• The Environmental Information and Public Access System (EIPAS) will save time and money for businesses with streamlined electronic permitting, broadened access to neighborhood-level information about environmental conditions in cities and towns, and enable the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection to more efficiently schedule, perform, and track inspections and compliance activities.
• Many additional energy and environment-related projects ranging from the Greening the Gateway Cities to Urban Signature Parks are listed in the Community Investments section of this plan. 

Accelerated Energy Program

The Patrick Administration launched the Accelerated Energy Program (AEP) in FY12 to accelerate the implementation of energy and water projects across the Commonwealth and help the Commonwealth comply with E.O. 484 - Leading By Example, which requires state agencies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, energy and water use by specified targets. As part of the program, DCAMM plans to green 700 sites in 700 working days, by December 31, 2014.  The sites encompass over 4,000 buildings and nearly 60 M square feet throughout the Commonwealth.

AEP is a three-year initiative that will create clean energy job opportunities across the Commonwealth and save over $40 M annually through the conservation of energy and water. The program is funded primarily from the Clean Energy Investment Program (CEIP), which uses utilities savings from projects to repay the bonds used for the project. This is an innovative financing approach developed by the Executive Office for Administration and Finance (A&F) that allows these important projects to go forward without impacting the Commonwealth’s bond cap. AEP also expects to leverage over $40 M in utility incentives.

Administration Accomplishments to Date

• In March, 2013, the US Green Building Council awarded the designation of LEED Platinum to the Renovation and addition to DEP’s William X. Wall Experimental Station in Lawrence, making it the first Commonwealth building to achieve this highest rating of energy efficiency and sustainable design.
• As of September 1, 2013, more than 302 sites, encompassing approximately 29 M square feet, are underway.  Projects at 18 sites (11 M square feet) have been completed.

FY14 Highlights

• The Commonwealth expects to spend $25 M on AEP projects in FY14, nearly $17 M in CEIP funding, $6 M in bond cap funding and over $2 M in leveraged utility and other contributions.  Projects at all 700 sites will be underway by the end of FY14.
• Construction will be completed for the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife Headquarters Zero Net Energy facility in Westborough.  The building will replace outdated facilities and leases while consolidating operations to promote better collaboration and offer more space for education and public hearings. 

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