Towns tried to ban fossil fuels in new construction but impact of pilot program proves inconclusive
Pilot program focused on well-off woke suburbs like Lincoln, Lexington and Acton
A state run pilot program that effectively bans fossil fuel usage in new construction and renovations in Massachusetts has produced inconclusive emissions results and housing production impacts, a new report shows.
Ten communities participate in the program approved during the Baker administration to “adopt and amend general or zoning ordinances or by-laws that require new building construction or major renovation projects to be fossil fuel-free, and enforce restrictions and prohibitions on new building construction and major renovation projects that are not fossil fuel-free, including through the withholding or conditioning of building permits.”
The net result is a ban on oil and gas hookups which are considered “lower-hanging fruit for building decarbonization.”
The ten participant communities are dominated by well-off woke locales: Arlington, Lexington, Brookline, Acton, Concord, Cambridge, Lincoln, Newton, Northampton and Aquinnah.
Boston had an opportunity to apply but did not. Somerville got edged out by Northampton, which replaced West Tisbury.
Legislation is pending to lift the ten participant cap, including proposals to allow any municipality to adopt their own new construction/renovation fossil fuel ban.
The state admits that “potential electric grid constraints in Somerville” posed a possible obstacle to Somerville’s participation.
Massive grid updates are required to keep pace with Net Zero mandates.
But an update by the Municipal Fossil Fuel-Free Demonstration Program dated September 30th and made public this week indicates: “At present, DOER has not received any energy usage data. DOER expects to receive energy data from utilities by September 30, 2025, which will be incorporated in future reports.”
Local ordinances mostly went into effect in early 2024, with Newton and Northampton finalizing ordinances effective January 2025.
Impacts on housing production also proved elusive: “Data related to electricity costs and housing affordability are not yet available.”
Yet the pilot program marches on “Continuing the Demonstration Project will enable DOER to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of its impact and potential policy implications.”