Massachusetts’ Clean Energy Grid Legislation

Massachusetts’ S.2967, An Act Promoting a Clean Energy Grid, Advancing Equity, and Protecting Ratepayers, reforms the siting and permitting of clean energy facilities, as well as the gas distribution system. It vastly expands the electric vehicle (EV) charging network, incentivizes innovative technologies such as battery storage, fusion energy, advanced metering and meter socket adapters, includes measures to protect residents from high energy costs, and equips state agencies with the mandate to fight climate change.

Together, the policies transform the future of energy generation, distribution, and consumption in Massachusetts. Major components of the legislation include:

Expediting siting and permitting. The bill consolidates reviews of clean energy siting and permitting, which will speed the pace of planning, constructing, and bringing clean energy infrastructure online. Large projects that require state, regional, and local permits will be consolidated into a single permit that requires action within 15 months. Small projects with multiple local permits will also be consolidated into a single permit and require action within 12 months. Expedited permitting is paired with enhanced community review via new offices created by the bill, including the Office of Environmental Justice and Equity, the Office of Public Participation at the Energy Facilities Siting Board, and the Division of Siting and Permitting at the Department of Energy Resources.

Grid Enhancing Technologies. To help protect residents from bearing the cost of building new infrastructure, when possible, the state will require the Energy Facilities Siting Board to first consider maximizing the efficiency of current infrastructure through the use of innovative technologies such as advanced transmission technologies or grid-enhancing technologies before approving new construction.

Natural gas transition. The legislation directs the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) to consider greenhouse gas impacts when it weighs a petition by a gas company to expand its territory, reigning in a mandate that historically offered preferential treatment to natural gas infrastructure over other methods of heating.

Building out electric vehicle infrastructure. The bill centralizes statewide coordination of charger installation via the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Coordinating Council (EVICC). The EVICC will also be responsible for identifying sites for a statewide network of fast charging hubs along Massachusetts highways and major roadways, as well as forecasting EV charging demand and determining its impact on the electric distribution grid over the next ten years. It further removes EV charger installation restrictions for residents who own parcels within condominiums, homeowner associations, and historic districts, and authorizes condo boards to install EV chargers on community parcels.

Fusion Energy. The legislation makes Massachusetts the first state in the nation to add fusion energy to the list of Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (RPS) Class I renewable energy generating sources.

Offshore Wind. The legislation allows future offshore wind contracts to be set for terms of 15 to 30 years instead of the previous 20 year maximum.

Advanced Metering Infrastructure. This legislation supports the rollout of AMI by requiring the utilities deploying them to create a centralized data repository to provide access to detailed AMI customer data, subject to customer approval. It also authorizes DPU to provide cost recovery for necessary expenses incurred by utilities in AMI implementation.

Decarbonizing buildings. Because buildings across the state continue to be a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, this legislation advances efforts to decarbonize them. It authorizes condo association boards to install energy efficiency devices and EV chargers in common areas and increases the efficiency of heat pumps by allowing installers to use the most up-to-date refrigerants.

Supporting technology and innovation. The bill expands the purview of MassCEC to include carbon removal, embodied carbon reduction, and nuclear power. MassCEC is also directed to promote carbon removal and embodied carbon activities, and study opportunities for future carbon removal.