Bill > S2372

This bill aims to promote energy diversity by updating regulations related to home energy audits, energy storage systems, and clean energy generation. Specifically, it modifies requirements for disclosing home energy audit results during real estate transactions, making them available at the time of listing or prior to signing a purchase agreement, with certain exemptions for situations like foreclosures or family transfers. The bill also expands the definition of "energy storage system" to include technologies that store energy for later dispatch and meet specific criteria for reducing emissions or grid demand. Furthermore, it establishes a framework for distribution companies to solicit and enter into long-term contracts for offshore wind and other clean energy generation, with provisions for competitive bidding, cost-effectiveness, and oversight by regulatory bodies like the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) and the Department of Public Utilities (DPU). The bill also mandates the creation of an energy rating and labeling system for residential dwellings by the DOER, and sets deadlines for its implementation, while also delaying the requirement for its availability in real estate transactions until January 1, 2018. Additionally, it directs the DOER to determine procurement targets for energy storage systems by electric companies and establishes task forces to study grid modernization, recommend successor energy efficiency programs, and examine financing gaps for renewable energy infrastructure.