Advocacy campaign pushing hub mayoral candidates to embrace solar

BOSTON — As this fall’s Boston mayoral race heats up, environmental advocates on Wednesday launched a campaign encouraging candidates to commit to boosting solar power in the city.

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The “Shine on Boston” campaign from Environment Massachusetts asks the city’s next mayor to install the equivalent of 25,000 solar roofs, or 250 megawatts of rooftop solar, across Boston by 2030.

“Historically in Massachusetts cities and towns have been the catalyst for change,” said Peter Schneider, of Environment Massachusetts. “We saw in 2016 the city of Salem became the first in the commonwealth to make a bold commitment to 100 percent renewable energy and then today there are over 12 cities and towns with similar 100 percent commitments as well.”

“Looking at this campaign and how it plays a role in our overall statewide work, Boston really has an opportunity as the hub and the heart and soul of Massachusetts, really has the opportunity to lead the state toward a clean energy future, one that is adopting really bold solar goals such as putting solar panels on all new buildings,” Schneider continued.

Environment Massachusetts supports a bill that would require Massachusetts to transition to 100 percent clean electricity by 2035 and 100 percent clean heating and transportation by 2045. That legislation was filed in the House by Reps. Marjorie Decker and Sean Garballey (H 3288) and in the Senate by Sen. Joseph Boncore (S 2136). Schneider said it has more than 70 cosponsors.

Arianna Maddox of MASSPIRG Students said her group has been working to bring lawmakers’ attention to the 100 percent renewable energy bill. The UMass Boston freshman said students are marking Earth Week by meeting with legislators to ask them to co-sponsor the bill or thank them for doing so, along with other events.

Cox Media Group