I am deeply honored and grateful to Senator Cynthia Stone Creem for taking time out of her incredibly busy schedule to speak with me August 26, 2026. It was especially meaningful to learn about the outstanding work she is doing in the Massachusetts State Senate to advance environmental policy and represent our community. After hearing about her leadership on clean energy, gas-system reform, urban forestry, plastic-waste reduction, and other critical environmental issues, I understand why Green Newton has chosen to honor her at its Environmental Leadership Celebration on October 1.
You currently serve as Chair of the Senate Committee on Climate Change and Global Warming. What are the committee’s most important priorities right now, and is there a particular environmental proposal you are especially focused on advancing?
In response, Senator Creem focused on Massachusetts’s transition away from fossil gas and toward cleaner heating and energy systems. She discussed work to:
- authorize networked geothermal demonstration projects, including the project operating in Framingham;
- empower ten communities, including Newton, to restrict fossil-fuel use in new construction;
- establish a working group to recommend changes to the Gas System Enhancement Program (GSEP), which she described as expensive and wasteful;
- redefine gas companies so they have the authority to sell clean thermal energy;
- repeal a 2014 law that encouraged the irresponsible growth of gas systems;
- require the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) to consider climate change and alternatives to gas when reviewing proposals to expand gas service; and
- end most Mass Save incentives for fossil-fuel appliances (except in rare circumstances) while increasing investment in heat pumps.
Senator Creem said the Legislature and the DPU now approach the gas system with a completely different mindset than they did when this planning process began. Although more work remains, she believes Massachusetts should be proud of how far it has come.
Looking back on your career, what environmental achievement are you most proud of? Could you also share a challenge, negotiation, or turning point behind that achievement that the public may not know about?
Senator Creem first discussed her work as Chair of the Senate Committee on Climate Change and Global Warming. She explained that the committee has brought greater attention to climate issues through hearings that help shape important climate policies.
Recent hearings have examined:
- how federal pullback in climate funding could affect Massachusetts’s climate plans and how the state can move forward despite federal retrenchment;
- the initial climate compliance plans submitted by gas companies, where those plans fell short, and how the DPU can ensure that the final plans provide a meaningful framework for transitioning away from gas;
- how Massachusetts can increase carbon sequestration through natural and working lands, including forests, farms, and oceans;
- how Massachusetts can accelerate solar deployment and reduce the cost of solar installation; and
- how the Mass Save program can reduce energy demand and overall energy costs.
Senator Creem said these hearings have significantly influenced the Senate’s agenda, with many of the issues raised now appearing in legislation under consideration.
When asked for more specific examples of accomplishments she was especially proud of, Senator Creem discussed policies currently being negotiated in conference committees:
- An environmental bond bill that would authorize billions of dollars for clean-air and clean-water initiatives
- The Municipal Reforestation Act, which would help cities and towns develop and implement tree-planting initiatives
- The Public Shade Tree Act, which would give municipal tree wardens stronger tools to protect street trees
- Legislation to reduce plastic packaging waste by directing restaurants to provide disposable plastic food-service items only when customers request them
- Dark Skies legislation, which would require publicly funded outdoor lighting to follow industry standards and best practices for reducing light pollution. This would lower energy use and emissions while protecting people and wildlife.
- The gradual phaseout of the Gas System Enhancement Plan (GSEP)
- A requirement for electric and gas companies to plan jointly for the transition from gas to cleaner alternatives, including electrification and geothermal energy
- Support for residential solar through an automated permitting process and the legalization of plug-in solar systems
Senator Creem emphasized that there are many accomplishments to be proud of, particularly the broader change in how Massachusetts approaches its gas system and plans for a large-scale clean-energy transition.
Massachusetts has committed to reducing greenhouse-gas emissions by at least 50 percent from 1990 levels by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2050. From your perspective inside the State Senate, are we moving quickly enough? If not, what is the greatest obstacle standing in our way?
Senator Creem asserted that Massachusetts is moving forward, but reductions in federal climate support have created serious obstacles.
She pointed to:
- federal reductions in climate funding,
- a federal government that does not sufficiently acknowledge climate change, and
- the loss or reduction of subsidies that helped people purchase cleaner appliances and electric vehicles.
These changes could make it more difficult for Massachusetts to meet its climate goals. However, Senator Creem remains hopeful that the state will succeed. She said the policies currently being considered by the Legislature could help Massachusetts continue progressing toward its emissions targets.
Amelia Zhang is a Junior at Newton North High School and a Green Newton intern.