Massachusetts H 1725: An Act relative to local energy investment and infrastructure modernization

Bill Text

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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1497 FILED ON: 1/18/2017
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1725

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Jennifer E. Benson
_________________
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act relative to local energy investment and infrastructure modernization.
_______________
PETITION OF:

NAME: DISTRICT/ADDRESS: DATE ADDED:
Jennifer E. Benson 37th Middlesex 1/18/2017
Frank I. Smizik 15th Norfolk 1/18/2017
Cory Atkins 14th Middlesex 1/18/2017
Jack Lewis 7th Middlesex 1/18/2017
James B. Eldridge Middlesex and Worcester 1/18/2017
Kenneth I. Gordon 21st Middlesex 1/18/2017
Chris Walsh 6th Middlesex 1/18/2017
Marjorie C. Decker 25th Middlesex 1/18/2017
Jason M. Lewis Fifth Middlesex 1/18/2017
David M. Rogers 24th Middlesex 1/18/2017
Thomas J. Calter 12th Plymouth 1/18/2017
Kay Khan 11th Middlesex 1/18/2017
Ruth B. Balser 12th Middlesex 1/18/2017
Paul R. Heroux 2nd Bristol 1/18/2017
Carlos González 10th Hampden 1/18/2017
Solomon Goldstein-Rose 3rd Hampshire 1/18/2017
Kate Hogan 3rd Middlesex 1/18/2017
Michelle M. DuBois 10th Plymouth 1/18/2017

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Brian Murray 10th Worcester 1/18/2017
Danielle W. Gregoire 4th Middlesex 1/18/2017
Jonathan Hecht 29th Middlesex 1/18/2017
Daniel J. Ryan 2nd Suffolk 1/18/2017
Natalie Higgins 4th Worcester 1/18/2017
Denise Provost 27th Middlesex 1/18/2017
Peter V. Kocot 1st Hampshire 1/18/2017
Jay D. Livingstone 8th Suffolk 1/18/2017
Elizabeth A. Malia 11th Suffolk 1/18/2017
Alice Hanlon Peisch 14th Norfolk 1/18/2017
Carmine L. Gentile 13th Middlesex 1/18/2017

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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1497 FILED ON: 1/18/2017
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1725
By Ms. Benson of Lunenburg, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1725) of Jennifer E.
Benson and others relative to local energy investment and infrastructure modernization.
Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)
_______________

An Act relative to local energy investment and infrastructure modernization.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:

1 SECTION 1: Chapter 164 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
2 section 145, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, the following section:
3 Section 146:
4 (a) As used in this section, the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires
5 otherwise, have the following meanings:
6 (1) “Local energy resources,” distributed renewable generation facilities, energy
7 efficiency, energy storage, electric vehicles, and demand response and load management
8 technologies.
9 (2) ”Distributed renewable generation facility,” a facility producing electrical energy
10 from any source that qualifies as a renewable energy generating source under section 11F of
11 chapter 25A and is interconnected to a distribution company.

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12 (3) “Board,” the Grid Modernization Consumer Board.
13 (b) The Department shall issue an order concluding the current Grid Modernization
14 Proceedings (D.P.U. 15-120, 15-121 and 15-122) by December 31, 2017.
15 (c) The Department shall commence a proceeding by no later than January 31, 2018 that
16 establishes procedures for each distribution company of the commonwealth to create and file
17 with the Department by October 31, 2019 its subsequent Grid Modernization Plan, as described
18 in further detail in subsection (d).
19 (1) This proceeding shall also establish specific metrics and related performance
20 incentives to evaluate the progress of the distribution companies toward establishing a grid
21 planning system to utilize and integrate local energy resources to meet customers’ energy needs.
22 Said metrics may include, but are not limited to: reducing the impact of outages, optimizing
23 demand, integrating local energy resources, improving workforce and asset management, and
24 electrification that results in lower greenhouse gas emissions and energy costs savings, after
25 accounting for fuel switching;
26 (2) This proceeding shall also create protections for low-income consumers including, but
27 not limited to, remote shutoff protection and exemption from special cost recovery mechanisms.
28 (d) Every 5 years, on or before April 1, each electric distribution company shall prepare a
29 Grid Modernization Plan. Each plan shall comply with the requirements set forth by the
30 Department in the proceeding described in subsection (c), or as modified by the Department, and
31 shall be prepared in coordination with the Grid Modernization Consumer Board established by
32 subsection (g). Each plan shall:

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33 (1) Evaluate locational benefits and costs of local energy resources curren