GRC has led the Boston Grid Modernization initiative with the City of Boston and is well positioned to align and accelerate the work of the Massachusetts OET
BOSTON, MA (March 19, 2024) – The Boston Green Ribbon Commission (GRC) today praised the Healey-Driscoll Administration for the establishment of the nation’s first Office of the Energy Transformation (OET). Under the leadership of Executive Director Melissa Lavinson, the OET will execute a community-by-community decarbonization strategy. The GRC, which convened and hosted a series of Boston Grid Modernization meetings with key stakeholders over the last year, is poised to play a critical role in aligning efforts of the Massachusetts OET with the City of Boston.
“Massachusetts leads the nation in planning and implementing climate action strategies and is now moving into a critical phase of action. Decarbonization and the electrification of our buildings, transportation, and systems is a massive undertaking, and the establishment of a dedicated Office of the Energy Transformation is an important first step,” said Amy Longsworth, Executive Director of the Boston Green Ribbon Commission. “Over the last year, the GRC has worked closely with the City of Boston, the region’s three major utility companies, and high-energy users to identify how these key actors can work together to advance electrification, decarbonization, and resilience. We are ready to collaborate with Executive Director Melissa Lavinson and her team to align and build on our efforts.”
The electrification of buildings and transportation is a key strategy to achieve climate goals set by the City of Boston, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and many other private and non-profit enterprises and organizations. Building on the convenings and accompanying report published last year, the GRC established the Boston Grid Modernization Working Group to set the stage for future work on specific aspects of the electrification strategies for the City, utilities, and large energy users – including potential building electrification and vehicle charging, grid infrastructure siting, and the role of distributed energy sources (DER). With a focus on planning information and sharing protocols, the City of Boston’s energy transformation visioning approach, neighborhood infrastructure siting processes, policy and regulatory reform, and workforce issues – the GRC and the Boston Grid Modernization Working Group stands ready to collaborate and share these critical findings with the Massachusetts OET.
About the Boston Green Ribbon Commission
The mission of the Green Ribbon Commission is to accelerate the implementation of the City’s Climate Action Plan by convening, organizing, and enabling leaders from Boston’s key sectors. The City of Boston is committed to achieving net zero carbon energy sources by 2050, even as the city grows. The GRC provides a forum for representatives of the private sector and the City to discuss, plan and act on the opportunities, challenges, ideas, and requirements of preparing Boston to meet the imperatives of climate change. To learn more, visit www.greenribboncommission.org.
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