Photo: WBZ NewsRadio Photo Archive
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — At the State House on Thursday, the House Committee on Ways and Means voted in favor of a redrafted energy bill, which included a big reduction to the Mass Save budget.
350 Mass is a grassroots foundation in Massachusetts with a mission to end fossil fuel dependency. While the bill does have some changes that the foundation fought for, it also includes a $1 billion cut from the $1.5 billion Mass Save budget for next year.
Executive Director of the 350 Mass Better Future Project Alan Palm explained the Mass Save budget and why he believes it is important to make living affordable for residents.
“What legislators have proposed is cutting the Mass Save Program, which reduces people's energy bills over the long term, by helping them insulate and electrify their homes with state incentives,” said Palm. “The gas and utility companies don’t want us to do that, because that gets us off of buying their products in the long term.”
350 Mass volunteer Sabine von Mering was also at the hearing and expressed her dissatisfaction with the redrafted bill.
“We’re really angry, because there’s a chance that Massachusetts will go backwards on climate and reduce our ability to actually move off of fossil fuels,” said von Mering.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Emma Friedman (@EmmaFriedmanWBZ) reports.