Study: Environmental-focused Green Communities Act will save Massachusetts money
MassLive, March 14, 2014Massachusetts’ adoption of the Green Communities Act will lead to $1.2 billion in net economic benefits to the state and the creation of more than 16,000 jobs between 2008 and 2025, according to a new report by a consulting group.
While the economic benefits are not huge, given the time frame and the size of the Massachusetts economy, study author Paul Hibbard, vice president of the Analysis Group, said the Green Communities Act was passed solely as an environmental policy.
“The purpose of the legislation was energy and environmental policy. It wasn’t an economic stimulus policy,” Hibbard said. “The fact that it’s providing economic benefits rather than being a drag on the state is the most important bottom line.”