Bill > H5049

This bill makes a number of key changes: This bill creates a new Office of Environmental Justice and Equity within the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs to implement environmental justice principles, develop standards and guidance on community benefit plans/agreements and cumulative impact analyses for energy infrastructure projects. It also requires the Department of Energy Resources to establish a methodology and guidance for evaluating the suitability of sites for clean energy generation, storage, and transmission projects. The bill makes significant changes to the Energy Facilities Siting Board, including expanding its jurisdiction to cover large and small clean energy infrastructure facilities. It establishes new requirements and timelines for the board's review and permitting of these facilities, including considerations of environmental justice, cumulative impacts, and climate change impacts. It creates an intervenor support grant program to provide funding for entities to participate in the board's proceedings. The bill also makes changes to zoning and permitting requirements for small clean energy infrastructure facilities, allowing the Department of Energy Resources to establish statewide standards that local governments must follow. For large clean energy infrastructure facilities, the bill allows the board to issue consolidated permits that combine all necessary state and local approvals. Additionally, the bill extends certain approvals for clean energy projects, provides funding for energy storage and offshore wind procurements, and makes various other changes related to clean energy, climate, and environmental policy.

Budget and Finance

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H5049