Massachusetts H 3215: An Act to expedite permitting for electric decarbonization infrastructure projects

Bill Text

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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2650 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3215

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Jeffrey N. Roy
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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 to expedite permitting for electric decarbonization infrastructure projects.
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PETITION OF:

NAME: DISTRICT/ADDRESS: DATE ADDED:
Jeffrey N. Roy 10th Norfolk 1/19/2023
Kristin E. Kassner 2nd Essex 4/6/2023
James C. Arena-DeRosa 8th Middlesex 6/8/2023
Priscila S. Sousa 6th Middlesex 7/11/2023
Tommy Vitolo 15th Norfolk 1/26/2024

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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2650 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3215
By Representative Roy of Franklin, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3215) of Jeffrey
N. Roy for legislation to expedite permitting for electric decarbonization infrastructure projects.
Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act to expedite permitting for electric decarbonization infrastructure projects.

Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to
expedite state permitting for electric utility infrastructure projects that contribute to
decarbonization of the electric sector in the commonwealth to combat climate change, it is
hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public
convenience., therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the
immediate preservation of the public convenience.

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

1 The General Laws are hereby amended by inserting after chapter 21O the following
2 chapter 21P:
3 CHAPTER 21P: EXPEDITED PERMITTING FOR ELECTRIC DECARBONIZATION
4 INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
5 SECTION 1. Title.
6 This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Expedited Permitting for Electric
7 Decarbonization Infrastructure Projects Act”.

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8 SECTION 2. Purpose.
9 It is the purpose of this chapter to consolidate and expedite the state review and
10 permitting processes for electric utility infrastructure projects that contribute to decarbonization
11 and to provide a single forum in which the electric decarbonization infrastructure permitting
12 office created by this chapter may undertake coordinated, timely, and standardized reviews of
13 such projects to facilitate achievement of the commonwealth’s climate change, renewable energy
14 and emissions reduction goals while protecting the environmental resources of the
15 commonwealth.
16 SECTION 3. Definitions.
17 As used in this chapter the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires
18 otherwise, have the following meanings:
19 (1) “Agency”, an agency, department, board, commission or authority of the
20 commonwealth, and any authority of any municipality which is specifically created as an
21 authority under special or general law.
22 (2) “Applicant”, an electric company that applies for a consolidated permit pursuant
23 to this chapter.
24 (3) “Best management practices”, broadly accepted industry practices that have been
25 determined by the office pursuant to this chapter to be the most effective and practical means of
26 avoiding, minimizing, or mitigating adverse environmental impacts caused by electric
27 decarbonization infrastructure projects similar to the qualifying project.

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28 (4) “Consolidated permit”, a permit issued by the office pursuant to this chapter 21P
29 and the rules and regulations promulgated by the office.
30 (5) “Department”, the department of environmental protection.
31 (6) “Director”, the director of the office.
32 (7) “Distributed generation”, means as defined section 1 of Chapter 164.
33 (8) “Distribution”, means as defined in section 1 of Chapter 164.
34 (9) “Distributed energy resources”, means as defined in section 1 of Chapter 164.
35 (10) “Electric company”, means as defined in section 1of Chapter 164.
36 (11) “Electric decarbonization infrastructure project”, means electric sector
37 infrastructure projects that: (i) improve grid reliability, communications, and resiliency; (ii)
38 enable increased, timely adoption of and interconnection to renewable energy and distributed
39 energy resources; (iii) promote energy storage and electrification technologies necessary to
40 decarbonize the environment and economy; (iv) prepare for future, climate-driven impacts on the
41 transmission and distribution systems; (v) accommodate increased transportation electrification,
42 increased building electrification, and other potential future demands on distribution,
43 intercon