Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs

Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
Name	Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
Formed	2003
Jurisdiction	Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Headquarters	Boston, Massachusetts
Chief1 name	(Secretary)
Parent agency	Office of the Governor of Massachusetts

Contents

Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs is a cabinet-level office in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts responsible for coordinating energy policy, environmental protection, and natural resource management across state agencies. It interfaces with the Governor of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts General Court, and federal entities such as the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the United States Department of Energy, and regional bodies like the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers forum. The office administers state laws including the Global Warming Solutions Act (Massachusetts), the Massachusetts Renewable Portfolio Standard, and interacts with courts such as the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court on regulatory matters.

History

The office traces administrative roots to executive reorganizations under governors including Mitt Romney (governor), Deval Patrick, and Charlie Baker (governor), responding to legislative acts like the Massachusetts Clean Energy and Climate Plan and the passage of the Global Warming Solutions Act (Massachusetts) by the Massachusetts Senate and Massachusetts House of Representatives. Its evolution drew on precedents from agencies such as the former Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, and engaged stakeholders including Massachusetts Audubon Society, Conservation Law Foundation, and MassPIRG. The office has been shaped by events such as Hurricane Sandy (2012) resilience planning and the regional response to ISO New England grid modernization.

Leadership of the office is vested in a Secretary appointed by the Governor of Massachusetts and confirmed by the Massachusetts Governor's Council. Secretaries have included figures with backgrounds linked to entities such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Tufts University, and non-profits like The Nature Conservancy. The organizational chart encompasses deputy secretaries who coordinate with commissioners of agencies like the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game, and the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, and interfaces with boards such as the Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management and the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority.

Statutory responsibilities include implementation of the Clean Air Act (United States), the Clean Water Act (United States), and state statutes such as the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act and the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act. The office administers permitting regimes tied to the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act and overseen by the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board, and manages programs for coastal resilience in partnership with entities like NOAA Fisheries and The Nature Conservancy. It supports statewide planning instruments such as the Massachusetts State Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan and contributes to regional initiatives under Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative with stakeholders like Exelon Corporation and National Grid plc.

The office has advanced initiatives on renewable energy deployment under the Massachusetts Renewable Portfolio Standard and energy efficiency programs aligned with the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. It has promoted coastal resilience projects referencing the Urban Land Institute guidance and grant programs similar to those administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Major initiatives have included support for offshore wind projects involving developers such as Ørsted (company), Equinor, and participation in procurements influenced by ISO New England system planning. The office also implements conservation and biodiversity actions with partners like The Trustees of Reservations and Massachusetts Audubon Society.

Funding streams come from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts budget appropriated by the Massachusetts General Court, federal grants from agencies like the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Department of Energy, and revenue sources including fee-based permitting and bonds authorized through measures such as the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust. Budget oversight involves the Massachusetts Executive Office for Administration and Finance and auditing by the Massachusetts Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability and state auditors. Capital investments have funded projects in partnership with entities such as the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center and municipal partners including the City of Boston.

The office has faced criticism and controversy over permitting decisions and siting of infrastructure that engaged groups like Conservation Law Foundation, Sierra Club, and local advocacy organizations in places such as Gloucester, Massachusetts, Nantucket, and New Bedford, Massachusetts. Disputes have arisen in litigation before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and regulatory challenges involving Department of Environmental Protection enforcement actions, contested renewable procurements with developers such as Vineyard Wind and debates about transmission projects involving Eversource Energy. Environmental justice concerns raised by groups like Boston NAACP and Environmental Justice League of Rhode Island have led to scrutiny from the Massachusetts Legislature and municipal leaders.