(NECN) - Pointing to dozens of extreme storms in recent years, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick unveiled a $50 million plan to deal with the future effects of climate change.
The plan includes a $40 million grant program to help protect energy services, as well as $10 million for coastal infrastructure and dam repair.
In that $10 million is $1 million in grants to reduce risk associated with coastal storms and sea level rise.
The cost of this program will come almost entirely from existing funds.
For more on this, we were joined by Richard Sullivan, secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.
An article in the Boston Herald slams the decision to create a $100,000-a-year position for a climatologist.
What does Sullivan think about the criticism?
He said, “It’s a pretty short-sighted criticism.”
Sullivan said the planning is in preparation for the impacts of a changing climate, which New England has seen much of over the past few years.
He said it is a great opportunity to be scientific and data-based in terms of planning for the future.
Local
He said the $40 million grants will be able to make utilities much more resilient and functional in in bad weather.
Sullivan said that this grant money and planning will allow hospitals, fire departments and more to stay open when the electric grid is down.
