SENATE DOCKET, NO. 238        FILED ON: 1/12/2009

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 378

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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An Act to promote alternative energy on farms..

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

SECTION 1.  The Department of Agriculture Resources  is hereby authorized and directed to establish, subject to appropriation, a loan program, to be administered in consultation with MasDevelopment, to provide loans on favorable terms and conditions to farmers and groups of farmers for the following purposes: implementing or improving alternative energy systems; implementing or improving water saving systems;  implementing or improving energy saving systems; and implementing or improving alternative heating and cooling systems.  In establishing the loan program authorized under this section, DAR shall utilize, to the extent practicable and appropriate to making available loans on favorable terms and conditions for the purposes described in this section, arrangements with private lending institutions involving linked deposits, loan guarantees, sharing of administrative costs, and other means deemed appropriate by DAR.