Bill > H5175

This bill aims to enhance energy affordability, promote clean power, and boost economic competitiveness by implementing several key provisions. It mandates the creation of a public online dashboard to display and explain retail residential customer energy bills, including the costs and mechanisms for utility charges, and an analysis of the benefits of clean energy programs. The bill also restructures certain divisions within the Department of Energy Resources, establishing a "division of clean energy procurement" and a "division of clean energy siting and permitting" to streamline clean energy development. It introduces a specialized "stretch energy code" for municipalities focusing on net-zero building standards and updates regulations for siting small clean energy facilities. Furthermore, the bill requires electric and gas companies to report detailed data on customer billing and energy usage, and mandates that at least 70% of alternative compliance payments be returned to electric ratepayers. It also establishes new rules for energy marketers and suppliers, including licensing requirements and bonding for energy marketers, and introduces a statewide energy storage incentive program. The bill streamlines permitting for residential solar energy systems through a "state smart solar permitting platform" and establishes a statewide solar incentive program with differentiated incentives for various installation types. It also allows cities and towns to prohibit certain energy suppliers from entering new contracts with individual residential customers and permits the installation of high-voltage transmission lines along state highways under specific conditions. Additionally, the bill introduces prevailing wage requirements for construction on thermal energy networks, expands the definition of "gas company" to include non-emitting thermal energy, and defines "portable solar generation device" for regulatory purposes. It also updates regulations for default service procurement by distribution companies, modifies billing practices for electric suppliers, and establishes new licensing and bonding requirements for energy brokers, marketers, and suppliers. The bill further introduces provisions for municipal light plants to provide services to other utilities, allows for the use of surplus interconnection service for transmission infrastructure, and requires a consolidated permit for certain large clean transmission and distribution infrastructure projects. It mandates management and operations audits for gas and electric companies, requires electric companies to develop electric-sector modernization plans that include load management and virtual power plant strategies, and establishes rules for interconnection service agreements. The bill also introduces default budget billing for residential gas customers, allows gas companies to develop geothermal energy infrastructure programs, and mandates discounted rates for low- and moderate-income customers. It also introduces new regulations for thermal energy facilities, requires gas companies to develop just transition plans for displaced workers, and allows for lease agreements for distribution and transmission assets with non-utility third parties. The bill also establishes a flexible interconnection program for electric distribution companies, a process for vehicle-to-grid (V2G) system interconnection, and requires labor peace agreements for certain energy projects. It introduces inclusive utility investment programs for customers to finance energy projects through their electric bills and establishes tariffs for electricity provided to data centers, requiring them to use renewable energy and promoting energy efficiency. Finally, the bill establishes an electric rates task force to study and recommend solutions for electricity costs and mandates a review of the Mass Save program for efficiency and effectiveness.

Budget and Finance

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H5175