Environmentalists are praising the energy-efficiency law MA Gov. Patrick signed yesterday, according to this article in the Globe. The law requires, among other things, utilities to buy a certain amount of power from renewable energy companies, and allows the utilities to rent solar panels out to consumers.
Patrick wrote a short column about the legislation, which you can read here.
Good on you, Massachussets. Up here in Maine we had to fight tooth and nail for an energy efficiency standard for new home construction, and I can appreciate how difficult it is to build a political consensus on energy issues.