SEPTEMBER 24, 2019 — Today, Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) formally announced Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker as a 2019 Clean Energy Champion. Governor Baker will be recognized at the CRES Clean Energy Champion Awards Reception to be held during National Clean Energy Week (September 23-27, 2019).
“CRES is proud to announce Governor Charlie Baker as a 2019 Clean Energy Champion. Since taking office in 2014, Governor Baker has worked tirelessly to ramp up the Bay State’s renewable energy portfolio to curb transportation emissions and lower energy costs for consumers. We applaud Gov. Baker for his leadership and look forward to working with him to continue promoting clean energy solutions in his state for years to come,” said CRES Executive Director Heather Reams.
“Our administration is proud of our work to deliver bipartisan, commonsense solutions that sustain Massachusetts’ role as a clean energy and environmental leader.” said Governor Charlie Baker. “We remain committed to our ongoing efforts to advance new energy sources, pursue strategies to reduce carbon emissions and build resiliency in the Commonwealth’s communities, and we are grateful to CRES for this recognition.”
CRES 2019 Clean Energy Champions are Republicans recognized for their steadfast leadership in advancing commonsense clean energy solutions that address our nation’s need for abundant, reliable energy while preserving our environment.
Examples of Governor Charlie Baker’s clean energy record include:
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Proposed, and pushed for, the Massachusetts Clean Peak Energy Standard, which encourages electricity suppliers to increase the usage of clean energy during periods of high, carbon intensive, and expensive electricity demand, with the long-term goal of reducing ratepayer costs while also lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
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Signed a bipartisan solar energy bill to create a long-term plan for sustainable solar development, expand the Commonwealth’s solar industry, and make progress to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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Supported legislation that requires utilities to solicit long-term contracts from offshore wind farm developers to bring at least 1,600 megawatts of wind energy to Massachusetts in the next 10 years into law.
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Renewed Massachusetts’ commitment to the highly successful Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a cap-and-trade plan that has helped lower participating states’ carbon emissions by 40 percent in its first decade.
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Led the formation of the Governors’ Accord for a New Energy Future to promote clean energy reform to revitalize our country’s electrical grid with a bipartisan group of 17 governors.
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Testified before the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee and provided congressional leaders with insight into how states and the federal government can work collaboratively to advance clean energy solutions.
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Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) is a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization founded in 2013 to engage Republican policymakers and the public about responsible, conservative solutions to address our nation’s energy, economic, and environmental security while increasing America’s competitive edge.