Second Western Mass Solar Forum Launching at UMass Amherst
AMHERST — The Clean Energy Extension (CEE) at UMass Amherst, in partnership with state Rep. Mindy Domb, state Sen. Jo Comerford, and members of the Western Mass. state legislative delegation, will convene and host a second solar forum on Tuesday, June 4 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., building on the successful four-part series held last year, which drew 400 attendees to engage with 49 speakers.
The June 4 forum will focus on the recent recommendations from the Governor’s Commission on Energy Infrastructure Siting and Permitting and their implications for Western Mass. communities.
Speakers will include Energy and Environment Affairs Undersecretary Michael Judge; state Sen. Michael Barrett and state Rep. Jeffrey Roy, chairs of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy; and additional speakers to be announced.
Forum sessions will focus on topics including the implications of the recent recommendations of the Governor’s Commission on Energy Infrastructure Siting and Permitting; opportunities to improve community benefits agreements, public engagement in decision making, and technical assistance for communities; and an exploration of tradeoffs and how to better balance public interests related to solar development.
Click here to register, or visit ag.umass.edu/solarforum for a list of co-sponsors and the speaker lineup. Recordings and related resources from the 2023 four-part solar forum, addressing state renewable-energy goals, land use, equity, and stakeholder perspectives, can also be found at ag.umass.edu/solarforum.
