Massachusetts’ Act Driving Clean Energy and Offshore Wind

In August 2022, Massachusetts enacted an “Act Driving Clean Energy and Offshore Wind,” which builds on 2019 legislation and helps clarify how the state will meet its climate targets. Key provisions of the bill include:

• Gives 10 municipalities the ability to ban fossil fuel hookups in new construction or major renovation projects as part of a pilot.
• Requires all new vehicles sold in the Bay State to be EVs or hydrogen-powered by 2035 — if California adopts such a measure (California subsequently has).
• Increases state EV rebates to $3,500 for new and used vehicles costing $55,000 or less, and adds an extra $1,000 for residents who trade in a gas powered car or truck.
• Creates a single state council to oversee the deployment of public chargers.
• Eliminates the “price cap” for offshore wind projects, a controversial rule that required every new offshore wind project to deliver cheaper electricity than previous projects.
• Closes several solar “loopholes,” such as a rule that said only one solar installation per property could qualify for net metering. The law not only scraps that rule, but allows homeowners to be compensated for up to 25 kilowatts of solar power instead of just 10.
• Authorizes the Dept. of Energy Resources to offers solicitations for up to 4,800 gigawatt-hours of storage
• Establishes a Clean Energy Transmission Working Group to study the best ways to work with other New England states to build new transmission capacity or upgrade existing lines, and establishes a Grid Modernization Advisory Council, which will help ensure utilities make proactive and cost-effective transmission upgrades.
• Requires the MBTA buy only zero-emission buses starting in 2030, and that it must electrify the whole fleet by 2040.
• Phases out incentives or rebates for fossil fuel-powered heating and cooling systems.