Massachusetts' Climate Change Efforts: Nation-Leading, But Still Not Good Enough?

Massachusetts was one of the first states to launch an ambitious greenhouse gas reduction program, setting a 2020 goal of cutting emissions 25% from 1990 levels and a 2050 goal of an 80% reduction. With less than eight years to go before 2020, is the Commonwealth on track to measure up? According to a report released this week by think tank MassINC and the Clean Energy States Alliance, maybe not.

The report concludes that, although Massachusetts has implemented many effective programs -- notably the renewable portfolio standard, energy efficiency programs, and Green Communities program, all of which were introduced in 2008 -- implementation of new activities and initiatives called for in the Clean Energy and Climate Change Plan for 2020, released in 2010, is lagging. The lag is sufficiently significant that Massachusetts may miss its 25% reduction mark -- only no one's really sure.