Energy and Environmental Justice

Lowering Utility Costs

Our seniors, families and neighbors see energy bills climb each year. At the same time, utilities are making bigger and bigger profits. This is not sustainable, and it is not fair. 

Massachusetts remains heavily dependent on gas, and utilities make their profits through expanding the gas pipeline infrastructure across the state. 

My priorities include: 

  • Prohibit spending on new gas pipeline expansion, especially in environmental justice communities.

  • Expand opportunities for renewable energy, like solar, wind, and geothermal.

  • Ensure that residents across the district have access to the energy efficiency programs and savings from Mass Save.

  • Ban predatory third-party electricity suppliers that target families in districts like the 1st Suffolk and lock them into higher utility bills.

Sustainable Energy Made in Massachusetts

The time is now for Massachusetts to ramp up its investments in sustainable energy production, connectivity, and storage. While oil prices are skyrocketing due to the reckless actions abroad, the Trump White House has simultaneously killed numerous renewable energy projects in Massachusetts.

My priorities include: 

  • Push back on the Trump Administration’s sabotage by expanding financing to accelerate offshore wind growth. Offshore wind is key to meeting our Commonwealth’s climate goals and is an incredible economic growth opportunity to support local workers and businesses.

  • Ensure each project is built with a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) and a Community Benefits Agreement to ensure our families benefit in every way possible from this burgeoning industry.

  • Make sure the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) has the tools and resources to support a grid that can handle the rise in electricity production and protect our most crucial infrastructure from the growing threat of cyber attacks.

Focusing on Our Health

Producing clean electricity is not the whole story. I’ve always preached to my kids that what’s good for the earth is good for our bodies. When we have cleaner air in our neighborhood, when the water we drink and swim in is free of heavy metals and bacteria, and when we feel safe and protected from extreme weather we support our health and wellness.

My priorities include: 

  • Expand air quality monitoring and mitigation across the district. Air pollution is a key health issue, especially for residents in our district who live near our highways. This both causes and exacerbates health issues such as asthma and lung cancer. This is especially true for children, whose lungs are smaller than adults’ and so are affected more by the same air pollution.

  • Make sure the City of Boston has resources to expand our tree canopy and retrofit buildings to protect our neighbors from heat and reduce air pollution at the same time. As extreme heat worsens with the warming of our planet, our families will be at greater risk of heat stroke. This is true from South Boston to Dorchester to Chinatown, the hottest neighborhood in our city.

  • Invest in large-scale public infrastructure, including nature-based solutions, to protect our coastline. As sea levels rise, neighborhoods like Dorchester and South Boston will be on the front lines of flooding.