Massachusetts Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA)

In August of 2008, Governor Deval Patrick signed into law the Massachusetts Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA). The GWSA established the most aggressive greenhouse gas (GHG) emission targets for any single state in the entire country: a minimum 80% reduction from 1990 levels by 2050, and a 25% reduction from 1990 levels by 2020. The GWSA requires The Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs (EEA) to implement the GWSA, which entails a broad swath of actions ranging from developing a plan to meet the 2020 goal to establishing GHG reporting systems. EEA released the Clean Energy & Climate Plan for 2020 in December of 2010 and has shifted its focus to implementing the 2020 plan. The GWSA offers a unique and historic opportunity for the Commonwealth to develop innovative solutions that will help prevent the devastating and costly negative effects of climate change while improving the quality of our environment and public health, save households and businesses money thru energy savings, create jobs, and spur economic development, especially thru our rapidly growing clean energy sector.