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The report makes it clear there are plenty of places to responsibly develop solar in Massachusetts, and the state needs policies to make it a reality.

BOSTON, MA – Today, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources published its “Technical Potential of Solar Study” report and the results are in: its geospatial analysis of potential solar land use confirms the state has up to 18 times the solar potential than what will ultimately be needed. This report lays the groundwork for the next chapter in Massachusetts’ solar policy. 

“Solar energy is key to our clean energy transition and has the potential to sustain good jobs across the Commonwealth,” said Kat Burnham, Massachusetts state lead at Advanced Energy United, the national business association working to achieve 100% clean energy in America. “This study by the Department of Energy Resources shows that there is ample potential to grow our solar industry, generate clean energy, and protect our open space. Succeeding will require a sustained commitment to build solar in all of its forms – on roofs, over parking lots, and on land. We can do this, but it won't happen by accident.”

There is nothing sexy about the electric grid. 

It’s a thing we don’t think about — plug in your phone charger, flip on your lights, move on with your day. 

Maybe you have a vague idea of what’s powering it, some mix of fossil fuels and clean energy. Maybe not. 

But as climate-fueled catastrophes mount and Massachusetts pushes hundreds of thousands of residents toward electric heat and electric cars, what’s powering the grid has become an increasingly urgent question. For nearly three decades, the state has been slowly nudging out coal and oil and cobbling together enough climate-friendly energy to make steady but undramatic gains. But now, with deadlines looming and its larger climate plans at stake, Massachusetts must embark on an unprecedented sprint to build enough clean energy to complete a clean grid. Success is anything but certain.