Governor Charlie Baker is making energy a top priority for his second year on the job. But he doesn’t want ratepayers to get stuck with too much of the tab. During his State of the Commonwealth speech Thursday, he telegraphed this goal: keeping electric bills under control while improving reliability and meeting the state’s greenhouse gas reduction targets. But this stuff can get complicated and we don’t blame you if you’re confused. Here’s a primer on how the governor wants to increase supplies while curbing the state’s carbon footprint.

SOLAR

Baker urged continued support for the solar industry but not at prices “two to three times more than every other option.’’ That’s a reference to the debate on Beacon Hill over net metering, the way solar panel owners get reimbursed for distributing excess power. Lawmakers left for home before Thanksgiving without a compromise on this.

There’s a divisive issue dragging down the talks. As more users install solar panels, those reimbursements pile up. State officials are debating how best to scale back the reimbursements once the amount of total solar power in the state reaches a set threshold of 1,600 megawatts (we are at 1,000 now). The governor’s proposal represents a middle ground between a state Senate bill that’s generous to the solar industry and a stingy House bill, but it still worries some in the solar business.

HYDRO

When it comes to energy, Baker’s biggest focus is getting what’s known as “the hydro bill’’ passed. This would prompt Eversource Energy and National Grid to seek long-term contracts with clean-energy providers for large amounts of electricity, most likely hydropower in Canada. These contracts could help finance at least one new power line to draw more juice into this region.

Governors in other New England states, Baker said, are waiting for Massachusetts. He urged lawmakers to “move on this now.’’ Good luck with that. Baker filed his hydro bill last summer, but the House and the Senate have yet to approve their own versions, with House leaders saying they want to tackle this as part of a broader energy bill. The complexity means this issue might not be resolved until the formal session ends in July.

WIND

A new power line to connect with Canada could also give wind farm developers a way to get electricity from rural places (namely in Maine) to populous areas. Baker’s bill encourages this piggyback concept, but some question whether the language leaves enough room to guarantee wind farms can participate.

Baker sounded a more cautious tone about offshore wind, saying it should be embraced only at competitive prices. This implies he may not support efforts in the House to prompt the two big utilities to buy at least some power from an offshore wind developer. Offshore wind proponents say the technology is still too new to the US but could become a cost competitive option after the industry is more established.

NATURAL GAS

Baker deliberately didn’t mention natural gas. Don’t be fooled — it’s still important to him. The region’s pipeline system is so jammed right now, gas-fired power plants are often unable to access cheap gas from Pennsylvania on the coldest winter days. The state Department of Public Utilities took the unprecedented step of allowing Eversource and National Grid to propose charges for electric customers to help finance new pipelines. Both utilities filed such requests in recent weeks.

So why didn’t it deserve a mention? Of all these energy sources, natural gas is arguably the most controversial. Witness the protesters who showed up on Thursday, complaining about Baker’s support of this “secret pipeline tax.’’ Some critics worry about new pipelines coming through their backyards. Others simply don’t want New England to become more dependent on natural gas, which is already responsible for roughly half of the region’s electricity.