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Solar and Energy Storage for Massachusetts Environmental Justice Communities (5.26.26)

2026-05-27 · 12:52 UTC ·Clean Energy Group / Clean Energy States Alliance ·1 min read

Brief

The webinar 'Solar and Energy Storage for Massachusetts Environmental Justice Communities' (presentation, 5/26/2026) presented an Applied Economics Clinic report estimating behind‑the‑meter solar paired with storage potential in EJ neighborhoods, documenting low adoption due to weak equity provisions, and recommending policy and financing solutions. Panelists highlighted cost savings, reduced pollution, and increased outage resiliency from distributed solar+storage.

Why it matters

Massachusetts' strong statewide solar and storage programs lack meaningful equity provisions, producing low adoption rates in environmental justice (EJ) communities—defined as neighborhoods with higher shares of low‑income, minority, and limited‑English populations (webinar presented 5/26/2026).

Key details

  • An Applied Economics Clinic report, commissioned by Clean Energy Group, Vote Solar, and the Union of Concerned Scientists, quantifies behind‑the‑meter solar+storage potential in MA EJ neighborhoods, identifies barriers and policy/financing solutions, and was developed with an advisory committee of EJ groups, affordable housing advocates, and developers.
  • Panelists Todd Olinsky‑Paul (Clean Energy Group), Elena Weissmann (Vote Solar), Paula García (Union of Concerned Scientists), and Tanya Stasio (Applied Economics Clinic) presented findings on 5/26/2026; the webinar is Part 2 of a two‑part series (Part 1 focused on offsetting forecasted electric demand growth).
Source evidence

WEBINAR SLIDES: https://www.cleanegroup.org/wp-content/uploads/webinar-5-26-26-slides.pdf

Massachusetts has some of the best solar and energy storage programs in the country, but these programs lack meaningful equity provisions that target low-income households. As such, clean energy adoption rates in environmental justice communities (i.e., those that have higher shares of low-income, minority, and/or limited English speaking populations) are low. Behind-the-meter solar and solar paired with storage can lower energy costs, reduce the need for polluting resources, and improve resiliency by providing access to backup power during grid outages.

A new report prepared by the Applied Economics Clinic on behalf of Clean Energy Group, Vote Solar, and the Union of Concerned Scientists estimates the potential for behind-the-meter solar paired with storage in Massachusetts EJ neighborhoods and identifies possible solutions to address barriers to adoption. The report’s analysis and recommendations were developed in collaboration with an advisory committee representing environmental justice organizations, affordable housing, and clean energy developers. Read the report here: https://www.cleanegroup.org/publication/electrification-with-equity-part-2/

In this webinar, Clean Energy Group, Vote Solar, and the Union of Concerned Scientists will present the report and discuss its findings. There will be an opportunity to answer questions from the audience.

Panelists:
- Todd Olinsky-Paul, Clean Energy Group
- Elena Weissmann, Vote Solar
- Paula García, Union of Concerned Scientists
- Tanya Stasio, Applied Economics Clinic

This webinar is the second in a two-part series. Part 1 focuses on the opportunity for behind-the-meter solar paired with storage to offset forecasted electric demand growth in Massachusetts; read more here: https://www.cleanegroup.org/webinar/how-solar-and-energy-storage-can-support-massachusetts-clean-energy-transition/

Channel: Clean Energy Group / Clean Energy States Alliance
Published: 2026-05-27
Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BmAPD30eNI