Energy and Environment

State Administration & Regulatory Oversight and Senate Vice-Chair of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, & Energy. Senator Pacheco has been appointed by the Council of State Governments (CSG) as Co-Chair of the Eastern Regional Conference (ERC) Energy & Environment Committee and to the National ‘Future of Work’ Task Force serving as Chair of the Subcommittee on Smart Government. He has also been appointed to the CSG/ERC Territorial Relations Committee and the National Conference of State Legislature (NCSL) Task Force on Energy Supply. Senator Pacheco has been a longtime environmental advocate and an Al Gore Climate Messenger with the Climate Reality Project who has fought hard to implement climate change solutions in the Commonwealth. He was lead sponsor the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2008, which was enacted into law to establish an economy-wide cap on greenhouse gas emissions and implement comprehensive sustainable solutions in Massachusetts. Senator Pacheco has received numerous awards from various organizations throughout his career including honors from Environment Massachusetts and the Sustainable Future Campaign - an initiative of the United Nations Youth and Student Association. He has received the Commander of the Order of Prince Henry the Navigator, the highest civilian award given by the Portuguese government; the Grand Decoration of Honor in Gold with Star from the Republic of Austria, the fourth highest decoration of merit the country can confer on the federal level; and the Medalha da Ordem de Timor Leste, for his contributions to the U.N. Referendum for East Timor independence. Before his service in the Massachusetts Legislature, Senator Pacheco served for 10 years as an elected member of the Taunton School Committee serving as its chair and as the chief of staff and budget director to the Mayor of the City of Taunton for seven years.

currently serving his third term. In 2020, Senator Formica became the Senate Republican Leader Pro Tempore and serves as Ranking Member of the Energy and Technology Committee and the Executive and Legislative Nominations Committee. He Co-Chairs the bipartisan Tourism Caucus and the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Caucus, and he is a member of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee. Senator Formica has been the owner and operator of Flanders Fish Market & Restaurant for nearly 40 years. He served as the First Selectman of East Lyme from 2007-2015, crafting balanced budgets, encouraging bipartisan participation and reaching regional solutions with neighboring communities to improve transportation, public safety and environmental policies. Prior to becoming First Selectman, he served as a member of the Zoning Commission and the Board of Finance. Senator Formica was past Chairman of the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments, where he chaired the regional rail committee and served on the regional water committee that resulted in a tri-town interconnection to conserve and share water. In addition to town responsibilities, Senator Formica has also served in a leadership capacity for many organizations, from Chamber of Commerce President to Chair of the Rocky Neck Heart Walk. He has also supported many causes as a member of organizations such as Rotary, Little League and the Miracle League Field in East Lyme. At the State Capitol, Senator Formica will continue to push to make state government more efficient through fiscal discipline, work to ease the regulatory burden on businesses, and fight to preserve essential services for local communities and those most vulnerable. Additionally, Senator Formica has worked to improve the state’s energy policy as it transitions into the renewable future. A resident of East Lyme, he is a widower and the father of four adult children — three daughters and one son.