Lawmakers attempt to curb carbon emissions by enacting new taxes on energy.
On Tuesday, Jan. 14, the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy held a legislative hearing on bills attempting to levy carbon taxes in Massachusetts. Specifically, House Bill No. 2810 calls for a carbon tax of $20 per ton of carbon dioxide, increasing by $5 every year until it hits $40 per ton. A study conducted by the Beacon Hill Institute concluded Massachusetts would lose 11,090 private-sector jobs in 2022 and by 2026 lose upwards of 18,240 jobs. The report also found a carbon tax in Massachusetts would have a severely negative impact on economic growth.
After nearly 6 hours of environmental activists testifying in support of the bills, NFIB’s Massachusetts state director Christopher Carlozzi was allowed by the committee to provide comments on behalf of small businesses. Carlozzi told lawmakers small businesses in Massachusetts already face some of the highest energy costs in the nation. Small businesses rely on affordable energy for vehicle use, heating and cooling of facilities and manufacturing products. Massachusetts small businesses are already at a competitive disadvantage with businesses in lower-cost energy states and carbon taxes will only make it more difficult to compete.
These bills would be in addition to Governor Charlie Baker’s Transportation Climate Initiative (TCI) proposal that adds new fees for transportation emissions in 11 states and Washington DC. NFIB in Massachusetts strongly opposes Baker’s TCI policy that is expected to raise fuel costs by at least 17 cents per gallon which will increase over time. New Hampshire has already decided to opt out of TCI while serious reservations have now been expressed by the Governors of Connecticut, Vermont, and Maine as well as the Speaker of the Rhode Island House.
NFIB in Massachusetts will continue to fight proposals that will increase already high energy prices and will continue to update you as these policies move through the state legislature.
