Energy Committee

Committee Purpose/Mission

  • AIM’s Energy Committee provides the association with strategic guidance in the development and advancement of AIM’s public policy agenda and helps us formulate responses to public policy arguments that raise the cost of energy in Massachusetts. The Committee will focus on both electricity and energy supply, such as natural gas and renewable power.
  • The Committee communicates regularly through email and usually holds up to two scheduled meetings per year. Members receive immediate notice and timely analysis of key legislative and regulatory issues that affect all employers.

Benefits and Why Members Engage

  • The Committee will operate as an educational forum with members educating other members on best practices in energy procurement, energy efficiency and renewable power
  • This group will participate in legislative, regulatory and administrative areas and may form ad hoc task forces to actively address specific energy issues. Activities will include:
    • Identify and analyzes legislative and regulatory and administrative issues impacting energy supply energy cost and the competitive market.
    • Receives timely updates throughout the legislative session
    • As needed provides public testimony, blogs, letters to the editor
    • Actively engages with legislators and policy makers
    • Seeks and develops educational opportunities for other AIM members

Members

  • The Energy Committee is comprised of Plant Managers, competitive suppliers, energy managers, renewable power suppliers, attorneys and business executives from every sector of the Massachusetts economy and are among this very diverse and active group of AIM members.

Committee Leadership

  • AIM energy Committee is chaired by Mary Smith, Manager, Energy Supply and Utility Administration, Harvard University
  • Robert Rio, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs leads AIM’s Energy Committee. Bob does advocacy work on behalf of the organization’s more than 3,500 member companies. In this capacity, Mr. Rio is responsible for all energy, environmental, chemical, or product legislation, regulation, and ballot questions. Bob’s work includes both regulatory and legislative efforts.

Key Energy Issues

  • AIM’s Energy Committee will operate under five guiding principles:
  • When possible, all government policies around electricity supply should complement and enhance the free market competition that has been the law of the land since 1997 when Massachusetts restructured its electricity market. Otherwise, government policies should have as their primary goal securing energy sources at the lowest possible cost to consumers.
  • Electric and natural gas rates should be fair and account for the cost of services across rate classes.
  • Ensuring an adequate and cost-competitive supply of energy is a priority as it is crucial to the economy of Massachusetts
  • All renewable power and clean energy should be treated equally with the most cost-effective being pursued first
  • All ratepayer money, including funding for energy efficiency, should be transparent and spent wisely to get the biggest bang for the buck in the way of environmental benefits.

Below is a sampling of what AIM has focused on in the energy area that directly affects job creation and business competitiveness. Such issues include:

  • Supported competitive long-term contract bidding for renewable power and clean energy that resulted in projects being built with virtually no impact on rate costs.
  • Opposed renewable projects such as Cape Wind that are politically influenced and bypass the competitive process.
  • Supported a rate class allocation for electric and gas users that makes every class pay their fair share without unnecessary cross-subsidies.
  • Supported energy efficiency programs that have returned hundreds of millions of dollars to our members in the form of rebates for energy efficiency programs.

To learn more about the committee
Contact Bob