Bill to spur development and diversification of clean energy in Massachusetts
BOSTON – State Representative Richard M. Haggerty (D-Woburn), who services as Vice-Chair of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy, was pleased to join his colleagues in the House of Representatives to pass “An Act accelerating a responsible, innovative and equitable clean energy transition,” which aims to increasing the Commonwealth’s supply of clean energy by setting new renewable energy generation storage procurement targets, and by streamlining the state and local permitting process.
“This comprehensive legislation demonstrates our continued commitment to building a cleaner, more resilient energy future for Massachusetts,” said Representative Haggerty. “By streamlining permitting processes and investing in innovative technologies, we’re not just meeting our climate goals – we’re positioning our Commonwealth as a leader in the clean energy economy while also creating jobs, driving economic growth, and ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come. This bill strikes a careful balance between ambitious climate action and pragmatic implementation, ensuring that we can meet our net-zero goals while maintaining energy reliability and affordability for all residents.”
Siting and Permitting Reform
The bill streamlines permitting for small clean energy projects (under 25 MW) and small energy storage systems (under 100 MWh) by allowing developers to submit a single consolidated permit application. Municipalities retain authority but must decide within 12 months. For larger projects (25 MW or over), the Energy Facilities Siting Board (EFSB) can issue consolidated permits for a small clean transmission and distribution infrastructure facility, small clean energy generation, and small clean energy storage facilities.
The legislation provides numerous provisions to provide resources and technical support to municipalities, establishes parameters for the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) creates statewide standards for local permitting, establishes a Department of Public Utilities (DPU) and Energy Facility Siting Board (EFSB) Intervenor Support Trust Fund that will provide supporting funds for intervenors including governmental bodies, regional planning agencies, federally recognized tribes, state-acknowledged, or state-recognized tribes in permitting proceedings. The bill also:
- Establishes the Office of Environmental Justice and Equity and authorizes it to develop guidance for community benefit plans and agreements and to develop a cumulative impact analysis framework to inform the work of the EFSB
- Establishes the Division of Public Participation at the DPU which is tasked with helping stakeholders with business before the DPU/EFSB
- Requires public engagement as one of the uniform pre-filing engagement requirements that DOER is tasked with developing standards for
- Updates the composition of the EFSB by adding a municipal member, a representative of the Massachusetts Association of Regional Planning Agencies, and the Commissioner of Public Health and requires other public members to be experts in specific subject areas.
Diversifying the Commonwealth’s Clean Energy Portfolio
This bill also mobilizes groundbreaking and innovative technologies that will power the Commonwealth’s green transition. This involves generating and procuring more clean power, solving interconnection issues, and incentivizing consumers and businesses to adopt green technologies.
The legislation calls for a new procurement of 9.45 million MWh of clean energy, including existing nuclear generation. It requires a DOER to review the effectiveness of exiting offshore wind solicitations and procurements in meeting state emissions goals and provide recommendations to improvement the current process to the Legislature. To increase flexibility and potentially reduce costs for ratepayers, the legislation extends the maximum contract length for offshore wind and clean energy projects up to 30 years instead of the current 20 year maximum.
To support additional clean energy generation, the bill authorizes the establishment of market-based mechanisms for participating in regional or multi-state competitive solicitations. It also requires the procurement of up to 5,000 MW of new and existing energy storage systems, addressing various duration needs. The legislation promotes grid efficiency by requiring utilities to consider grid-enhancing technologies in their capital investments.
The legislation supports the rollout of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) to improve grid management and resiliency. It requires utilities deploying AMI to create a centralized data repository for customer data access, while maintaining consumer protections through an opt-out option. The bill also adds fusion energy to the list of RPS Class I renewable energy generating sources, positioning Massachusetts ahead as this technology becomes commercially viable.
Finally, the legislation expands support for the offshore wind industry by extending refundable tax credits to smaller employers creating at least 50 new full-time jobs. It also allows the Department of Public Utilities to establish a moderate-income discount rate for electricity, in addition to the existing low-income rate, and requires utilities to conduct outreach efforts to make these discounts available to eligible customers.
Transportation Electrification & Building Decarbonization
The bill also advances building decarbonization strategies, by broadening the business portfolio of gas utility companies to become thermal energy companies as well, allowing them to provide heat to their customers through utility-scale, non-emitting thermal energy.
To help address the significant buildout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure needed to facilitate mass adoption of electric vehicles, the bill requires DOER, in consultation with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and other key stakeholders, to forecast electric vehicle charging demand through 2045 along highways and major roadways as well as service plazas and identify sites to create a statewide network of Fast Charging Hubs along Massachusetts highways and major roadways. It also places the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) on the Electric Vehicle Interagency Coordinating Council to bring innovative strategies to spur electric vehicle growth.
The bill also authorizes utility customers to install meter socket adapters, a technology which can effectively manage increased load to allow customers to install electric vehicles chargers or heat pumps without triggering the need for expensive electrical upgrades.
Having been passed by the Senate, the bill now goes back for its further consideration.
