Amendment #4 to H3994

State leadership to meet emissions goals

Representatives Goldstein-Rose of Amherst and Smizik of Brookline move to amend the bill by inserting after section 5 the following section:-

“SECTION 6: (a) The Governor shall direct an appropriate agency or office to conduct a bidding process for suppliers of renewable fuels or alternate systems to submit proposals to supply carbon-neutral fuel or alternate systems for Massachusetts state-owned buildings and vehicles. The Commonwealth shall buy at least 80 per cent of its fuel for state-owned vehicles from the winning bidder for the fiscal years 2025 through 2034, inclusive, at a rate of no more than 3 dollars per gallon, or shall pay the winning bidder no more than an equivalent amount for the operation of alternate systems. Such fuel may be produced by artificial photosynthesis, processing of waste biomass from sustainable agriculture, growing of bacteria or other organisms, or any other means provided that such fuel shall be entirely carbon-neutral. Alternate systems may include electric vehicles and charging stations powered by carbon-neutral electricity or any other carbon-neutral method of transportation that enables the same level of service from the state agencies that use the system. The Commonwealth may also buy fuel or alternate systems for building heating from the same or another bidder. Municipal-level public entities may choose to participate in the same bidding process or may conduct their own similar process, but shall not be required to do so.

(b) Any supplier, broker, or marketer supplying electricity to or purchasing electricity on behalf of Massachusetts state-level public entities shall supply or purchase at least 90 per cent renewable or nuclear electricity for all Massachusetts state-level public entities it serves in fiscal year 2025 and every fiscal year thereafter."