Massachusetts Senate Adopts Biomass Reform in Energy Bill
BOSTON — State Sen. Adam Gómez announced that the Massachusetts Senate adopted his amendment #25 as part of the Senate’s comprehensive energy affordability legislation, closing a longstanding loophole that classified woody biomass as an eligible ‘non-carbon-emitting’ energy source under the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standard for municipal lighting plants.
The amendment removes woody biomass from the standard, aligning state law with established climate science and existing Massachusetts clean energy policy. The change also removes a potential financial incentive for new biomass generation, including the proposed Palmer Renewable Energy biomass facility, which residents and local officials have long opposed.
“For more than 15 years, residents of Greater Springfield have fought this proposal because they understood what was at stake: the health of their families, the air they breathe, and the future of their community,” Gómez said. “By closing this biomass loophole, the Senate reaffirmed that our climate policies should be guided by science, not outdated assumptions. Taxpayer-supported clean energy programs should invest in truly clean energy, and communities that have carried environmental burdens for far too long deserve policies that put public health first. Today’s vote is a significant victory for environmental justice and for everyone who refused to give up on protecting Springfield.”
The proposed Palmer Renewable Energy biomass facility has been the subject of sustained opposition from neighborhood organizations, environmental advocates, public health experts, faith leaders, elected officials, and residents, who have consistently raised concerns about air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, and the disproportionate impact the project would have on surrounding communities.
A longtime advocate against the proposal, Gómez first opposed the biomass facility during his service on the Springfield City Council and has continued that work throughout his tenure in the Massachusetts Senate. During floor debate, he described the amendment as an opportunity to finally close the ‘biomass loophole’ by ensuring Massachusetts no longer classifies a polluting fuel source as clean energy.
Environmental organizations, public health advocates, and community groups from across the Commonwealth urged lawmakers to adopt the amendment, including ARISE for Social Justice, the Springfield Climate Justice Coalition, the Partnership for Policy Integrity, Climate Action Now – Western Massachusetts, the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Public Health Alliance, and more than 80 organizations that signed a joint letter in support.
The amendment was adopted as part of the Senate’s broader energy affordability legislation, which now advances to the next stage of the legislative process.