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Massachusetts’ solar future bright: report – Metro US

Massachusetts’ solar future bright: report

Massachusetts’ solar future bright: report

Massachusetts is on track to glean 20 percent of its electricity from solar power by 2025, according to an Environment Massachusetts report released Thursday.

The report, called “Star Power: The Growing Role of Solar Energy in Massachusetts,” claims the state has the potential to produce twice as much electricity from solar power as the state consumes each year, but would require the expansive installment of solar technology across the Commonwealth; something that doesn’t come cheap.

Environment Massachusetts’s campaign organizer Ben Hellerstein called the goal “ambitious but achievable,” and when asked about cost concerns, pointed to the health and environmental impacts of of “dirty energy.”

“We should ask ourselves, ‘What is the cost of not taking action on clean energy?’ said Hellerstein.

Mark Sandeen, founder of RePower Partners, points to long term financial incentives.

“When you invest in clean energy it lowers the need to invest in fossil fuel infrastructure, and you’re not paying for fossil fuels over time,” said Sandeen. “The trade off is that you pay a little more for solar power today, but you get the long term benefit of lower costs.”