Representative Dylan Fernandes has served Falmouth, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket in the legislature since 2017 where he has focused on combating climate change, advancing affordable housing, and addressing the opioid and heroin epidemic. He serves as the Vice Chair of the Committee on Tourism, Arts & Cultural Development, and has seats on the Committee on Ways and Means, the Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities & Energy, and the Committee on Global Warming and Climate Change.
The economy of our communities are dependent on a healthy environment. Millions of people visit the Cape and Islands each year because of the natural beauty of our region. As the climate crisis continues to worsen, we must do everything we can to preserve it. Sea levels are not getting any lower and our region is going to be particularly hard hit if we don’t take action.
In the legislature, addressing the climate crisis has been a major priority for me. I’ve been fighting for policies that will allow us to urgently transition our energy resources and preserve our environment.
We are all tied to the ocean and we must return to the sea to save our planet from the devastation of climate change. This March, the House passed groundbreaking offshore wind legislation that is a commitment to future generations to drive out dirty fossil fuels. For the first time, this bill unlocks the potential of offshore wind to cities, towns and private companies across the state by allowing them to directly procure offshore wind energy. Municipalities that have pledged to take climate action will now have the ability to power their communities with clean energy. I’ve worked closely on this legislation since my first session in the building, and I’m extremely proud that it passed in the House.
This bill also makes sure we’re developing responsibly. It includes language from legislation I filed that requires companies to have environmental and fishery mitigation plans and creates working groups to oversee the process. It incorporates language from my bill that funds workforce development and prioritizes projects that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion opportunities. Finally, the bill takes many steps to prepare our electric grid for the incoming influx of renewable energy, requiring utilities to create plans to proactively upgrade the grid. With this legislation, Massachusetts will be fully prepared to step into a clean energy future and meet our 2050 net-zero goals.
Addressing the ocean acidification crisis is essential if we hope to sustain our blue economy and protect our state’s historic coastal marine environment. We are running out of time before the consequences of ocean acidification become truly catastrophic. This urgency is what led us to establish the Massachusetts Ocean Acidification Commission in 2018.
Through 2019 and 2020, the commission worked incredibly hard to create a report that outlines the ocean acidification crisis in Massachusetts and provides a roadmap of actions we can take to prevent its worst effects.