Bill > H3170

This bill aims to promote low-income access to solar energy by amending Chapter 164 of the Massachusetts General Laws. The key provisions of the bill include: 1. Requiring the Department of Energy Resources to ensure equity, accessibility, and participation by renters and low-income retail electric customers in the solar incentive program. This includes implementing a low-income customer verification process to determine eligibility based on income thresholds or participation in various government assistance programs. 2. Allowing low-income multi-unit buildings that meet certain criteria, such as receiving tax credits under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, to qualify as a single low-income customer. 3. Prohibiting credit checks and early termination/exit fees for residential customers, and requiring distribution companies to accept and implement changes to the identities and amounts of credits attributed to designated recipients of distributed solar generation facilities at least once per month. 4. Exempting low-income multi-unit building owners from bill credit maximums and subscriber count minimums for the host project. The bill also requires the Department of Energy Resources to promulgate regulations to implement these provisions within 180 days.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H3170